As Fate Would Have It
by ashleysweetlywritesx
Summary: Nikki Bella and John Cena appear to have it all. But the one thing that John Cena doesn't have is a match at Wrestlemania. With the Undertaker not cleared to compete, the WWE quickly come up with televising John and Nikki's marriage. marriages on WWE TV never end well. Naturally, this one doesn't, either. What starts as a storyline turns into something else. Seth/Nikki OC/AJ Styles
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:**_

 ** _This is the sequel to 'Guardian' featuring AJ Styles and OC Chara Wright. However, this is written so it can be read as a sequel or a stand-alone._**

 ** _''As Fate Would Have It' follows Nikki Bella, who has it all. And so does her fiance, John Cena. But the one thing that John Cena doesn't have is a match at Wrestlemania. With the Undertaker not cleared to compete, the WWE quickly come up with televising John and Nikki's marriage._**

 ** _But, as we have seen throughout history, marriages on WWE TV never end well. Naturally, this one doesn't, either. What starts as a storyline slowly turns into something more real. Will Nikki stick by John's side, or will she begin to see things for what they really are?_**

* * *

"Well, look what the cat draped in," Nikki Bella stood with a hand on her hip, suspiciously eyeing up the current Smackdown Live Champion, AJ Styles.

"Are you serious, Nicole? You mean _dragged,"_ Brie Bella rolled her eyes at her sister, adjusting the chubby little baby that she had been wobbling between her knees. Brie looked down at Birdie, making a face. "Auntie CoCo is loco," she said, and Birdie gurgled as she laughed.

AJ smiled at Nikki and Brie, always enjoying the banter between the two sisters. Indeed, it had been awhile since he was on Smackdown. But with WrestleMania quickly coming up, he had a lot of work to do. Luckily, the WWE had been willing to give him a little bit of time off before the biggest show of the year, writing him off as "injured" so he could jet across the ocean to Japan.

"Whatever, Brie," Nikki shrugged. "You guys knew what I meant. How was your time off?" she turned her dark brown eyes back towards AJ, a tiny smirk beginning to appear.

"Excellent. It was really a great time, being able to do whatever I wanted without sticking to an itinerary. Well, kind of. Chara had a bit of an itinerary," AJ gave Nikki a smile, knowing full well that she was fishing for anything about his love life.

Just a few months ago, AJ Styles would've sworn up and down that his former protegee, Chara Wright, meant nothing to him. Their relationship dated all the way back to TNA, where he would eventually spend every free evening he had training her. As much as he pretended not to, he had been falling for her. Only problem was, she had a boyfriend.

And that turned out to be a giant mess. All three of them had ended up getting hurt, and Sami Zayn-her boyfriend at the time-had ended up with a bloodied face. So when she'd showed up to play the part of Sister Abigail, AJ had made a point to let her know that he had no feelings for her, whatsoever.

And well, that didn't work out. Because he found himself completely in love with her, as he'd always been. He just had been too stubborn to admit it.

"Sooo," Nikki rolled on the balls of her feet, her eyebrows raised. Her tone was excited, though she tried to mask it. "Is there anything else that you need to share? Any...you know, diamonds exchanged between you two?"

AJ Styles chuckled. "Nah, not yet," he drawled. "We didn't go to secretly elope. Why would you think that?"

Brie turned her attention to the champ. "Because some of those online bloggers or whatever are saying that you guys might have," she told him. "Nicole has been keeping tabs," she rolled her eyes playfully, holding on to a toy that Birdie kept putting into her mouth.

 _She is an excellent multi-tasker_ , AJ thought to himself. But he supposed that all that came with motherhood.

"Well, I didn't want to be the last to know," Nikki stuck her tongue out at Brie. "Where is Chara, anyways? I didn't see her come in through the parking garage."

"She should be in a meeting with Bray," AJ stroked his chin, curiously. Chara had asked that they arrive separately since she didn't want rumors to start right away. Of course, they already had. The internet was excellent at finding out about relationships well before everyone else was ready to reveal them. But it _had_ been awhile, and that meeting with the producers should be done by now...

"Oooh, is he going to be winning back the belt?" Nikki crooned. With the help of Sister Abigail, Bray Wyatt had finally been able to capture the WWE Championship from AJ at the Elimination Chamber. Unfortunately, Bray had lost it only a few weeks later after he was unsuccessful in channeling Sister Abigail for help. In the storyline, Bray had not been successful in any singles matches and had managed to upset his Sister. So, when he gave a lengthy, deranged promo asking for her knowledge and presence during his title defense, she had no-showed.

In reality, that was because Chara, too, had taken time off to go to Japan. She was busy at home packing, and met AJ at the airport the next morning to leave.

"No, he's not," AJ confirmed. As it stood, he would be defending his title against an old friend at this year's 'Mania. "I think they are going to keep up the battle with Matt Hardy," AJ conceded. "And it sounds to me like Bray is going to be drafted to RAW. So I'm pretty sure Sister Abigail and Bray Wyatt will be parting ways soon."

"Oh, that's so exciting," Nikki clapped her hands together. "Finally, we can see her in a little singles action! I'd love to go up against her."

"Yeah, but you'd actually have to get in the ring again," Brie piped up once more. Nikki shot her a look, her mouth hanging open in bewilderment.

"Obviously, we've been busy with other things," Brie covered quickly, realizing she had come off harshly. "I really want to get back into the ring, and I know you do, too. But you have other things to focus on. Like, oh, you know...a wedding," Brie tapped her chin as though she was deep in thought, raising an eyebrow up at her sister.

Nikki shrugged. "Okay, but that's easy. We already know we're doing it in Mexico with our closest friends and family. What else is there to plan?"

AJ was admittedly shocked to hear Nikki say this. From what he knew of Nikki Bella, she didn't do _anything_ half-assed. Especially not a wedding, which was something that she had been looking forward to for the last year. Nikki wasn't shy in what she wanted, and it would not have surprised him at all had her wedding to John Cena been televised. So, the way she spoke about what should be one of the happiest days of her life really made him wonder what was going on behind the scenes.

"Nicole, we don't even have our bridesmaids dresses figured out yet. Lola has been texting me like, every day, with pictures of what she thinks you might like."

"Yeah, but I don't like any of them," Nikki replied, swooping down to pick up Birdie from Brie's lap. She held her up in the air as she made funny faces at the baby.

"You would actually have to look at them," Brie responded, standing up. She gave a stretch, trying to look around AJ's shoulder as though she was searching for someone.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to run and find Bryan," she turned to her sister. Before Nikki could respond, Brie had walked out into the hallway, on the search for her husband.

Nikki adjusted Birdie on her hip, who didn't seem to mind that her mother had left the room. Nikki turned her attention back to AJ, giving him a small smile. He was about to excuse himself, feeling awkward suddenly. Instead, he found himself intrigued by the way Nikki had been acting about the entire wedding planning bit.

"Getting cold feet?" he blurted out. Immediately, AJ shamed himself. He didn't want to upset his friend, and he really didn't want to say anything out of line. Girls were weird like that. Especially ones that were about to tie the knot.

Nikki shook her head. "No, nothing like that. It's really hard to plan a wedding when we're just so...busy, you know? That's why we opted for the destination wedding to begin with. We just don't have the time to spend hammering out silly details. We're getting married, and that's that."

Still, something in her face told AJ she wasn't being completely honest. He decided not to push her any further.

"So, is John going to be here tonight? Heard he's supposed to square up with 'Taker," AJ drawled, trying to change the subject.

"He won't be here until halfway through the show. He had a business meeting with Tap Out this morning in Tampa Bay," she said briskly. "He's going to call out Undertaker, but we don't know yet if they will have a match. Last time I spoke to Michelle, Mark hasn't been doing very well."

It took a minute for AJ to realize that Nikki was talking about Michelle McCool, Undertaker's wife. Once he did, he nodded once, understanding the predicament. If The Undertaker wasn't cleared to wrestle and John Cena wasn't in the title picture, he really didn't have a reason to be at WrestleMania at all. The WWE had put all their eggs in a basket as far as Cena and Taker went despite knowing that there was a possibility of Taker's health not being up to standard. And what would WrestleMania be without John Cena?

"Do they have any other potential leads if that feud doesn't work out?" AJ wondered out loud, already knowing the answer.

Nikki tickled Birdie under the chin, causing a big, spitty giggle. She was purposely avoiding AJ's gaze, and he knew it.

"Of course they don't," she finally admitted. "You know the WWE creative team. Always flying by the seat of their pants."

* * *

 _ **The next week...**_

"Hello, Nicole. John. Thank you guys so much for meeting up with me today," Mark Carrano welcomed the couple into his office. Nikki's heels clicked against the tiling of the floor as she followed behind John, who was giving her a clammy hand as he led the way. Of course, in true gentleman fashion, he pulled out her chair for her before sitting down.

It had been a wild week. Although Nikki hadn't been performing with the WWE, Brie had dragged her along last week because she'd been missing Bryan immensely. But between last week's show and a few meetings for Birdiebee, Nikki hadn't been to her own home in a little over a week. And, in fact, this was the closest she'd been to John since Smackdown Live, when she kissed him quickly before he hopped into a cab to get to the airport after the show.

 _And we can't even enjoy our time together_ , Nikki thought bitterly. They had a stupid business meeting in Stamford, right at WWE Headquarters. _This probably could've been a conference call_.

"Mark," John Cena gave his trademark boyish smile. "Always a pleasure."

"And to you too, John. Nicole, looking beautiful as always."

"Thank you," Nikki replied politely. She folded her hands carefully on her lap, anxious to hear what this whole thing was going to be about.

"First off, I really want to thank you two for coming tonight, despite the short notice," Mark said smoothly, shuffling around on his desk before pulling out a manila file folder from a stack of them. It was clearly labeled "WM34".

"Of course," John gave yet another charming smile. Nikki found herself wondering how he could remain so calm and collected. This was seriously cutting into their time together. And after the totally awkward interaction between herself and AJ Styles last week, she was beginning to realize that maybe she ought to start getting her wedding plans going. So the time spent in Stamford was taking away from finalizing flower arrangements.

 _Not that John cares,_ she thought. She shook that from her mind quickly, hating that the thought would even dare pop into her head. Of course, she knew that John cared. He was just as busy as she was, though, and couldn't really be bothered with such petty details.

"As you two know, the plan was for John Cena to take on The Undertaker at this year's WrestleMania. Ideally, it would be a career against career match, in which John would win. That would force Taker to retire for good," Mark folded his hands on his desk, holding a pen in his hand. Nikki liked him but hated when he spoke to people as though they were characters in a book. He did this quite often.

"Did the plans change?" John's brow furrowed. "It sounds like they might have."

Mark cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, they did. Taker won't be cleared to wrestle by WrestleMania. We've been in touch with his doctors, and his surgery has had a few complications. He'll be fully ready to get into the ring by SummerSlam, but for April, that definitely won't be happening."

"WrestleMania isn't very far away," Nikki tapped her manicured nails on the desk. "Are you telling us that John is getting scrapped from the card?"

Mark looked pained for a moment. "No, that's not it," he said finally. "Unless he wants to be."

"Well, if you have something in mind, you know that I'm all ears," John replied, perhaps a little too eagerly.

"We do, actually. But after the troubles last year, you know, trying to get you guys to agree, it's completely understandable..." Nikki tuned out what the VP of Talent Relations was saying as her stomach slowly fell to her knees. She had a feeling that she knew what was coming.

"Okay, so how do I fit into this?" she finally cut in, and John sent her a disapproving look. He hated to be interrupted, and she knew it. But she didn't care.

"Well, we think it would be a great way to get eyes on Total Divas if people think you've broken up," Mark said finally. "And we've been in contact with E! as well, and they agree. We can't have another season like last season, or the contract between them and WWE could be terminated."

"So, what do you want us to do?" John asked.

"Well, here's what we're thinking. Let's have your wedding at WrestleMania."

"But our real wedding is in Mexico," Nikki replied curtly. "Sorry, but I don't really want to get married in New Orleans."

"You don't have to. But we're thinking of a Test/Stephanie McMahon/Triple H reboot angle. Remember that?"

Nikki did remember it, actually. Stephanie McMahon was all set to marry her sweetheart, Test (God rest his soul), but it would be revealed that she was already married to Triple H before they could say their vows.

"It's going to take a lot of work on your part, though. You can't travel together. Try hard to keep out of public together. At least until the end of May, when the new season starts back up."

"That's nearly three whole months!" Nikki objected, crossing her arms angrily. "We have a real wedding to plan, and you're telling me we shouldn't be seen in public? Are you kidding?"

Mark pulled out a piece of paper, keeping his eyes on the couple. He pushed the paper over to John, who took one glance at the paper before letting out a low whistle.

"That's...a lot of money," John said.

"Yes. That's how important it is that we save the contract between WWE and E!," Mark said. "Again, if people hear that you guys have broken up, they'll have to tune into the show to see for themselves. And anyways, it sounds like you know how things went for Test and Steph. WWE weddings never turn out very well."

"So you're going to bring in a third person into this storyline," John stated. It hadn't been a question.

"Yes," Mark replied coolly. "It's someone from RAW, heading to Smackdown after WrestleMania. I think he needs this push."

"Well, who is it, then?" Nikki was not bothering to mask her dislike for the entire idea. Sure, she understood the business side of the whole ordeal. But it really got under her skin that the WWE would ask her and John to keep their distance. It also bothered her that it looked like John was more than eager to go and do it, being driven by the amount of money they were going to pay them as a bonus for agreeing. She was getting anxious, wanting to call Brie immediately. She usually was the voice of reason when it came to John, and Nikki could use a little calming down after this.

Not a moment later, there was a sharp knock on the closed, wooden door.

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Mark said as he got up, straightened his tie, and rounded his desk to reach for the doorknob.

John had turned to look, but Nikki stood, back turned, still pouting. She knew it was ridiculous, but she didn't really care.

"Mark," a familiar voice filtered through the office. "Good to see you. I'm here to hammer out the details of this new angle."

"Of course," Mark's tone changed quickly, as he pulled up a chair from the corner right next to Nikki. Something about this felt like she was in the damned principal's office at school.

"Guys, you already know Seth Rollins. He's the one we've decided best suits this storyline."

* * *

 _ **First chapter down, guys! It's been a long time coming. Let me know what you think.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Please insert excuses here.**_

* * *

"So, are we going to do the entire angle the same, then?" Nikki Bella's brow furrowed, not hiding the disdain in her voice. "Seems to me like the WWE is constantly regurgitating ideas from the past."

John Cena shot her an annoyed glance, and she knew she'd struck a nerve with him. He hated when anyone, including her, talked ill of the company. She was certainly grateful that she was able to become as successful as she had. She truly could not have done it without the WWE. However, the creative team as of late was anything but. They were often throwing some of her friends in horrific storylines and embarrassing matches. This was not the Women's Revolution that she had helped create.

Seth Rollins now sat to her other side, and for the most part, had kept to himself since entering the room.

"Well, we'll obviously draw in hundreds of viewers by televising your wedding on the WWE Network. It will be something nobody wants to miss. Yes, we'll do the fancy invitations and all that jazz. Let's have John announce it to the world that you're going to tie the knot in the same place it started," Mark said thoughtfully. "And yes, in true WWE fashion, Seth Rollins is going to crash it. We really need a strong heel, and this is the moment that Seth will be just that."

"Right, but is it going to be revealed that I'm already married to Seth because I was drugged and we went through a drive-thru wedding chapel? Because to be honest, that doesn't sound very PG-friendly," Nikki made a sour face.

Mark laughed heartily, and John chimed in. Seth didn't, and Nikki had to respect him for that. She hated that she was feeling as though the other two men were belittling her, making her feel stupid for asking such an outrageous question.

"Well, how do you think it should go, Seth?" Mark finally stopped his annoying chuckle, speaking to Seth for the first time in a long while. "No drive-thru weddings for Nikki, of course. She's better than that."

Now, Nikki couldn't tell if that was a jab at her. It seemed like it had been; after all, the upper management had accused her in the past of being too high-maintenance. Sometimes, she could see that. But in this case, she really didn't want to mimic a complete storyline from twenty years ago.

Seth gave a sideways glance at Nikki, giving her a small smile. "Actually, I've got the perfect idea."

* * *

Nikki and John left the meeting quietly, neither of them speaking. The tension between them was clear, and the last thing they wanted was to begin an unnecessary argument. They had been able to hammer out some serious details about everything. They could go on with their daily life for awhile, barely seeing each other as usual. Next week, John would fly to RAW as a "free agent" to make the announcement that the Undertaker would not be able to wrestle him at WrestleMania.

From there, though, he'd make the announcement that he was able to find something for himself to do at the New Orleans show, and that was marry Nikki Bella.

After that, it was all downhill. At least in Nikki's eyes, anyways.

"So you're not going to speak to me, then?" John finally asked her coolly as he opened the door of their vehicle for her. She scooted in, trying to avoid his eyes. She would certainly begin crying. This was definitely not the WrestleMania moment she'd dreamed of for herself.

"It will be fine," she managed to mumble. "I just don't like that we won't be able to travel or anything together. What does that mean for our wedding in May?"

John halted, eyeing her up. "You know, we could always consider pushing it back," he said slowly, clearly watching how he used his words.

And instantly, Nikki felt like she'd been punched in the gut. It was exactly as she'd suspected. She'd known it, deep down, for a while now. He was so detached in the wedding planning process because he really wasn't ready for the wedding at all. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, and quickly, rolled down her face and straight down on to her new Chanel purse.

"I...I don't really know what to say," she sobbed, the tears choking her as she spoke. "This isn't...really the time or place to be discussing this, John," she quickly used her index finger to wipe her eye, trying to peek out the car door window to ensure that no paparazzi would catch them at such an awful moment.

"Well, it's hard for us to be married and work separately, Nicole. Besides, with the wedding in May, we still have far too much to do but not enough time. Between our schedules and that, it might actually be best for us to hold off."

"Best for who? You?" Nikki accused, trying really hard to keep her emotions in check. "Why don't we just break up for real, then, if this isn't what you want?"

John looked at her, shock taking over his handsome features. His squared jaw grinded for a moment. "I never said I didn't want this. I just said, maybe this timeline does not make any sense right now."

"Can we please talk about this at a more appropriate time?" Nikki reiterated, concentrating on her breathing. She felt like she could puke.

"I'm not sure when would be more appropriate, to be frank. You know I won't be home until next week."

Actually, she didn't know that. He hadn't told her he was going to be jetting off to wherever.

"What's the point of having a big, beautiful home when _you're_ never there?" she muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest in a standoffish sort of way.

"Nicole, knock it off. Everything I do, I do it for us. For our future. You know that."

She did know that. At least, she thought she did. But this all was coming crashing down around her quickly, and she was really beginning to wonder how things could ever work out for them in the long run.

"To the airport, Ben," John announced to the driver, who tipped his cap in response.

The ride to the airport was quite somber. Nicole played with scenarios on how to change John's mind on a May wedding in her head. She also considered how she'd announce to her family that they'd need to push it back.

John took a business call, and after that, she was largely ignored by her fiancé. Wanting to keep her mind busy, she scrolled through her social media accounts. Finding she couldn't engage herself in any activity right now, she texted Brie, asking if it was alright if she could stay with her and Birdie for the next few days. Although the idea of going back home sounded fantastic, she knew that without John there, it would be empty and lonely. Plus, she would overthink everything. Brie was excellent at giving her John-related advice, and maybe she could offer insight on how to break the bad news to the family.

Her phone buzzed, and she opened the text quickly, expecting it to be her sister. Instead, it was Seth. She made a face, wondering why he would want to talk to her. They hadn't really spoken since his girlfriend, Sarah, had accused him of having a tiny crush on Nikki.

Nikki had been understanding of their dissolve in friendship. Seth really wanted a low-profile relationship after how things had gone with Zahra Schreiber. Besides, Sarah was sweet, and Seth deserved to be happy.

 _ **Do you really think that the story sucks that much? Your face said it all...**_

Nikki chewed her lip, wondering how to respond. She would be forced to partner with Seth for most of April and on until whenever the creative team pulled their heads from their asses. Perhaps honesty was the best policy.

 _ **No. It's hard to plan a real-life wedding when you can't be with your husband. Harder when work shoves a lot of money your way to do it.**_

John still rattled on to his agent, going through the week's itinerary. Nikki glanced at him. John had not liked Seth in the past, but would never admit that to anyone else but her. If he had not been the third wheel in the story, John would have questioned why she was texting him at all.

 _"He's a talented guy, but he can't stay out of trouble. Remember, the kind of company you keep is a direct reflection of yourself..."_ John's words from a few years back rolled through her head.

 _ **Don't worry. I can help plan. Not as well as Brie, but it looks like we'll be spending plenty of time together. :)**_

Nikki held back from a giggle. It was nice to have someone make a point to make her smile, given the shitty situation. She was glad that she was given a normal person that she already knew to crash her faux wedding. She could use a good friend right now, and Seth had always been that.

* * *

 _ **The next day**_

"What do you mean you're postponing your wedding?" Brie's jaw had dropped, looking at Nikki like she'd grown a second head. Her gaze shifted immediately to Nikki's abdomen, suspicion in her eyes. "You're not...?"

"Oh my god, Brie. You know that John's fixed!" Nikki replied, rolling her eyes. No, her woman cave would be empty forever.

"I know that...but things can happen. It's not always a hundred percent."

Nikki shook her head, brushing off her sister's words. Yeah, she'd heard that vasectomies weren't always a hundred percent effective. But judging by how often she'd been in John's bed in the early days of their relationship, she was pretty sure there'd be no accidents. Of course, to have babies, even accidental babies, they'd have to sleep together more often than once a month...

She quickly shamed herself for thinking that. It wasn't fair.

"With the storyline, we can't see each other anyways. John was more than happy to accept the astronomical amount of money that they pushed at us," Nikki recalled.

"What does outer space have to do with anything? You guys should be planning your damn wedding!" Brie argued. It took Nikki a moment, but she quickly burst out laughing. She wished she could have recorded that, because Daniel would've gotten a kick out of Brie's response.

"How are you seriously laughing right now?" Brie demanded. "You're joking, right? This is all for Swerved or something. Cameramen are about to pop up from behind Bird's crib."

"No, nothing like that," Nikki said, still through giggles. "Outer space," she continued to laugh, and then laughed harder when Brie's face showed that she still clearly did not get it.

"Okay, Nicole. I'm concerned. You're acting like a psycho," Brie got up from the chair she'd been sitting in, making her way over to the kitchen. Nikki could hear Brie tinkling around in there, when after a few moments she re-emerged carrying two wine glasses. Their signature wine, Belle Radici, was tucked under her arm.

"I'm going to get _everything_ out of you one way or another," she spoke up, acknowledging Nikki's questioning gaze. "And I know that wine is my best bet."

"To be honest, I have no problem with that," Nikki said. "It's been a long, awful week."

Brie poured her a glass, passing the drink over across her homemade wooden table. They clinked their glasses, each sipping. Both let out a small sigh of appreciation, and they smirked.

"We nailed this," Nikki commented, swirling the contents of her glass once before taking another sip.

"Yeah, we sure did," Brie smiled. "Couldn't have done it without you. Now, let's get talking. Why are you guys calling off your wedding?"

"We're not calling it off, Brie," Nikki huffed. "John's been adamant about pushing it back, though. He told his parents already that we're going to wait until the summer."

"Oookay," Brie drawled. "But you don't have a specific date? You know, maybe something I can work with?"

"I mean, not yet, no. But we still have a long time until it's summer. I'm not too worried. I just worry about what mom is going to say."

"She's going to be the voice of reason," Brie pointed out, quirking her brow. "She's going to tell you that you guys either do it, or you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikki asked, slightly offended. Brie had, in the past, made it clear that she didn't think that John was her sister's soulmate.

"Obviously, you and John love each other very much. And I love John, too. He's a fantastic person, both in and outside of the WWE. He's done amazing things for you. But...what if that isn't enough?"

"What if what isn't enough?"

"Love? What if love isn't enough to make your relationship work?"

"Brie," Nikki scowled.

"Seriously, Nicole. You have done everything to cater to him. You've put your life on hold. You've rearranged schedules, your timelines, your...beliefs. Your wants and needs. But really, what has he done for you? As far as I know, he hasn't really been compromising with you. Sure, he's agreed to marry you. But when? That's on John's terms. Don't you think this is an issue?"

Nikki shrugged. "We love each other very much, and that isn't going to change. As much as I'd love to walk down the aisle, I can respect that John thinks it's best to wait."

Brie sighed. "Okay, but you remember when I was about to get married? Daniel and I were literally counting down the days. There was no hesitation. And I understand that you and John are different people, but you really need to consider that maybe you're simply not meant to be together in the long run."

Nikki flicked her wrist over in Brie's direction, a signal for her to shut up. She took a long drink from her wine, choosing not to reply. She was afraid that if she did, she'd end up laying into her sister and upsetting her further.

"John and I have a lot of figuring out to do," she stated after a long pause.

"Okay, fine. One last thing, though. Remember when Total Divas wanted a rating out of rekindling you and Dolph? And obviously, we knew it was just for the show. But John was very serious and unaware. He was okay with you getting back with Dolph! Does that honestly sound like someone who wants to get married at all, despite what he says?"

"Okay, Brie, I get your point," Nikki responded, more annoyed now than ever. She could feel her patience diminishing, and she reached for the bottle of wine to top off her remaining liquid.

"I'm just looking out for you, Nikki. You can't tell me that you haven't wondered if John proposed to you last year simply because of the money and the ratings. We both know his first love is the WWE. He'll do anything for them."

"I highly doubt he would have done it if he didn't want to," Nikki pointed out. "I mean, it wasn't romantic because I knew it was coming, but we'd had a long discussion before that. So no, I don't think he did it because of the money."

Brie sighed once more. "Okay, but he's willing to pretend break up with you for money," she remarked.

"You're so annoying," Nikki spat back, keeping her temper in check. She knew Brie was trying to help her, but this felt like the "I Hate John Cena" fan club right now.

"I just want you to have everything you want in life. And that includes a wedding, a husband, and babies," Brie's tone softened, and so did her features. "The last thing I want is for you to miss out on something so wonderful because you're with someone who has highly different values than you do."

"Work comes first," Nikki recounted the very thing John had said to her a million times.

"Maybe in John's world, but not in ours," Brie gave a sad smile. "Don't forget where you came from."

* * *

 _ **RAW, the next week**_

John smiled at the camera as he whipped out his lime green towel, heading down to the ring.

"What's this big announcement that John Cena has?" Michael Cole wondered out loud.

"I'm guessing we're going to find out, Cole," Jonathon Coachman replied with ease.

"The hottest free agent is here, and nobody seems to care," Corey Graves pointed out the dead crowd, who were only giving John Cena a lukewarm response during his entrance. "Maybe it's time for John to realize that his time is up?"

"That's where you're wrong, Corey. We all know that John's time is now," Cole replied.

"Wow, you're hilarious and original," Corey deadpanned.

"Do you think he's out here to call out the Dead Man once again?" Coach had ignored their banter, reminding the audience that John Cena had been on a quest to challenge Taker to a WrestleMania match. Except the week prior, it was Kane who answered. Not the Undertaker.

"You think he'd give up by now," said Corey.

"John Cena never gives up," Cole kept up, and Corey Graves audibly groaned into his headset.

"Maybe you ought to, your comedy act really sucks," he aimed back at Cole.

"Will you two knock it off? I'm actually interested to hear what Cena has to say," Coach interrupted them.

John Cena stood in the ring for a moment, smiling like a goon as the crowd began a "let's go Cena/Cena sucks" chant. He even pointed the microphone in the crowd's direction, amplifying the noise.

After a few moments, the audience had quieted. John brought the microphone to his lips, only to be met with a "we want Taker!" chant.

He smiled, allowing the fans to have their moment on television.

"Believe me, I want Taker, too," John finally spoke. This caused a cheer to roar through the audience, but John looked down at the mat, and it seemed to quiet the WWE Universe quickly. They knew that he was about to deliver some bad news.

"The only problem with the Dead Man is that after his royal ass-kicking by Roman Reigns last year, he isn't ready to show his face in the WWE," John spoke calmly. This was met with a huge jeer of boos, and John shook his head in approval.

"Trust me, I know. But if I lost to Roman Reigns at the biggest show of the year, I'd be embarrassed to show my face, too." Joh gave a small laugh when the crowd seemingly agreed with him, cheering his statement.

"In all seriousness, though, I have been informed that The Undertaker will not be able to wrestle this year. So my problem really is, where does John Cena fit into WrestleMania?" John paused. "I could look to RAW, and see what the Beast Incarnate is up to...but he's busy taming a little puppy dog.

"Or perhaps I can see if AJ Styles is back from his injury. But no, he's got a match against Shinsuke Nakamura!"

Of course, with each mention of the championship matches, the live crowd grew restless. He knew they would, and that's why he plugged them. He was no rookie at giving a good promo.

"I've thought about this through and through. And I've come to a final conclusion. John Cena WILL be at WrestleMania this year!"

After the crowd died down once again, John put the microphone back to his mouth. "Except...this year, he won't be there to wrestle. John Cena will be there to marry the love of his life, and it would be my honor to invite each and every one of you to the biggest day of our lives."

With that, a terrible Microsoft Word invitation showed up on the titantron, reading:

 _ **You are cordially invited to the marriage of**_

 _ **Nicole "Nikki" Garcia-Colace and John Felix Cena, Jr.**_

 _ **On the 8th of April, 2018**_

And as expected, the crowd went ballistic. Rather than wait for them to quiet down and drag the segment out further, though, John cut off the commotion.

"Yes, it's truly exciting for all of us. Obviously, Nicole and I wanted to exchange our vows in the same place that our story begins," he gave another boyish smile to the camera.

"With that, I suppose, I'll see you guys at WrestleMania! Nicole, I love you, and I'll be the guy in the tux!" giving a wink, John put the microphone down in the center of the ring, winking into the nearest camera before his music started, signaling his exit.

"Did you hear that, Cole? We've got an invitation for the biggest wedding of the year!" Coach exclaimed, not hiding his excitement.

"We have ears," Corey replied dully.

"All I know is that this is going to be some wedding!" Michael Cole beamed as the camera panned to him. "We want to offer our sincere congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. John Cena."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Please insert excuses here.**_

* * *

 _ **SmackDown Live**_

"Hey, Nicole," General Manager Daniel Bryan nodded in the direction of his sister-in-law, giving her a warm smile.

 _Perhaps too warm_ , Nicole thought. It then occurred to her that Brie had already spoken to her husband about Nikki and John's relationship woes. They were in such a weird place right now that Nicole had opted to take a red eye to hang out with Brie and Daniel Bryan at SmackDown. If she didn't she was sure she was going to be sitting in John's home, crying into a gallon of vanilla bean ice cream.

Then again, if her family was going to offer her a pity party, maybe lounging on the couch watching re-runs of Sex in the City would be better for her.

Daniel Bryan must have noticed that Nikki had an annoyed expression, and his face softened further. "What's up?"

"Like you don't already know," Nikki grumped back. As a response, Bryan gave her a lopsided smile. It was confirmation that yes, he knew.

"All that aside, Nicole, I wanted to congratulate you. Seriously, John's segment last night was the highest rated segment in the last year. I know you think it sucks, this whole situation. But also realize that you are going to be in one of the best storylines with the most exposure possibly ever. Think Edge and Lita."

Nikki made a face. She didn't want to disrespect the great legend, Lita, but that wasn't a fair comparison at all. Then again, having Lita on his side truly helped elevate Edge into the main event scene, establishing him as a fantastic heel character. And while Nikki had some experience as a heel, having someone like Seth Rollins would really help.

Contemplating for a moment, Bryan suddenly clapped her on the shoulder. "You don't need to worry about how things will turn out with you and John. I've said it before, I'll say it again. No matter what, everything is going to work out. John loves you, and I know that he'll do right by you."

Nikki thanked him, pardoning herself. Perhaps coming to tonight's show was a mistake. She hung around backstage, swinging by the Glam Squad to catch up on locker room gossip. They always knew the best dirt.

"Nikki! Hey girl!" a chipper voice startled her. It turned out to be Chara Wright, a good friend of hers. AJ Styles was a pace behind the pretty blonde, a lazy smile on his face. Nikki's mood lifted a bit. Whenever she ran into those two little lovebirds, she couldn't help but be happy. The rough start that Chara had with the company had completely turned around, and Nikki was happy to call her a friend.

"Nikki Bella, in the flesh," AJ pulled her in for a quick hug. "Feeling better since the last time we chatted?"

Nikki shrugged. "Not really, no," she admitted.

"Well, I saw John's promo last night! I even tweetered about it," Chara beamed. Nikki laughed at her friend. Chara used Twitter, but was still fairly new to regularly using her own account. She hadn't quite caught on to the online language.

"You must be really excited," AJ smiled. Nikki noticed him slip his hand around Chara's waist, and a slight pang of longing bit at her. She really missed John.

"You guys know it's a storyline, right?" Nikki stuck out her tongue.

Chara clicked her tongue, giving Nikki a tiny eye roll. "Well, _yeah_. But that's huge. That's super significant. People will be talking about it forever."

Nikki knew she was right. Maybe she was blowing this whole thing out of proportion and being a brat.

"It's just really hard when storylines leak into real life," she confided. "We aren't able to travel together after the heel turn. It sounds like the producers of Total Divas want fans to tune in because they think John and I broke up. And to be honest, it kind of feels like we did." Nikki felt her cheeks warm at the last comment, getting a little choked up in her throat.

"Oh, no, don't be sad," Chara stepped towards her, offering her a gentle hug. She totally understood how Total Divas could affect a person. After all, had she not been warned by Bray Wyatt, she could have easily gotten caught up in the last season. Nikki and Nattie had really pulled for her to join the cast, given her built-in, real-life storyline with her ex, Sami Zayn.

It seemed that despite some of the show being scripted, it often managed to trickle into parts of everyone's life that aren't meant for audiences.

Nikki breathed slowly, allowing herself to calm down so she didn't burst out crying in the middle of the now busting backstage area.

"John and I legitimately had to push back our wedding," she said quietly, not looking back up to Chara's eyes. She turned away from AJ Styles, too, not wanting the sympathetic look from him to put her back on the verge of tears.

"Are you serious? Because of Total Divas?" Chara asked in a hushed tone, making sure that nobody was listening in on their conversation. "Or because of this storyline?"

"No, not the show. Kind of because the storyline. But mostly because...because John wanted to." Saying it out loud truly hurt her heart.

"Pushing the wedding back isn't always a bad thing," Chara offered, trying to cheer her friend up. "It will be beautiful in the summertime. Or even a fall wedding, that would be really nice, too."

"It gives you more time to really go through the details," AJ stepped towards the women, his blue eyes bright and shining. "I know around WrestleMania time, we are all crazy busy. It's coming up fast. It could be too much going on at once for you guys."

"You're right," Nikki breathed, giving a sigh. "I just worry that we won't ever have this wedding. Sometimes I worry..." she trailed off. She wanted to keep talking, but she spotted Carmella lurking nearby. She didn't really know the former NXT star well, but she did know that she liked to gossip a lot. She'd been tipped off earlier by Elodie, one of the ladies in the Glam Squad, to be careful of 'Mella.

Chara must have known the Staten Island Princess' backstage behavior well, because she dropped the subject quickly. "Listen, if you want to grab a bite for dinner tonight, give me a call. Or text, whichever," Chara squeezed Nikki's hand.

"I might just take you up on that," Nikki replied. For the first time that day, she was growing hopeful that maybe things would work out for the best. She said goodbye to her friends, deciding she'd better find Brie and watch the show. It was almost time for it to start.

* * *

 _Later that evening, during SmackDown Live_

Brie sat alone, completely enamored with her husband on the screen. Nikki slipped into Daniel Bryan's "office" quietly, getting ready to scare Brie. She hadn't told her that she was coming as a surprise.

"Nicole, I know you're there," Brie sighed, not turning away from the monitor. Nikki groaned, mostly because she was annoyed that Daniel Bryan couldn't keep anything to himself. _Of course_ he'd told Brie that Nicole had inserted herself into their life, as usual. And at first, Nikki hadn't thought it was a big deal. After all, their mom had Birdie for the next couple days. It hadn't dawned on her that maybe Brie and Bryan would want to spend the nights without Bird _alone_ until that moment.

As that realization struck her, she couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed that she came at all. The idea that she'd spend a night on the town with her sister deflated quickly, like a sad popped balloon.

"I should've known you'd figure out I was here," Nikki replied, crossing her long, toned arms over her chest. "I couldn't stand sitting at home, staring at four walls, and drinking champagne with the wind."

Brie finally turned towards Nikki, giving her a quick up and down glance. The monitor had shifted to a 205 Live match, and Brie was clearly not interested in watching. She normally only kept tune if her husband or one of their friends was performing.

"Are you mad that I'm here or something?" Nikki quirked an eyebrow at her, recognizing that Brie had her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Mad? No, not mad. Bryan mentioned he'd seen you earlier," Brie's response was curt, straight to the point. Something was bothering her, and Nikki could tell.

"Something's wrong," she said out loud, and it wasn't a question. Brie twisted her mouth.

"Is it Bryan? I know that he had an appointment with the WWE doctor yesterday-" Nikki started, but she stopped speaking quickly, because Brie shook her head straight away.

"No, it's not Bryan. He's doing really well-" Brie stopped, furrowing her brow and shaking her head, realizing that wasn't the topic of the conversation. "Actually, I ran into Road Dogg earlier today, and he actually enlightened me on something that I had _no idea_ I would even be a part of. Isn't that great?"

Nikki made a sour face, trying to draw the conclusion.

"Basically, he congratulated me on being included in on one of WrestleMania's biggest segments. Namely, your wedding."

 _Ah, shit._

Now Nikki knew where Brie was heading with this.

"I was going to tell you," Nikki said quickly, trying to ignore the pissed look that her twin was shooting her. "I mean, obviously you were going to be there. It wouldn't be a Bella wedding without the other twin, right?" she smiled, hoping to ease Brie's mind.

"Yeah, I figured that. But who's dumb ass idea was it for us to pull Twin Magic? I just don't see how that will ever work. And also, why did I hear that I was included in this plan from freakin' Road Dogg?"

Nikki grit her teeth, suddenly unsure of the storyline and how it would pan out. At the time, Seth's suggestion of Twin Magic seemed perfect. But hearing Brie's hesitations made her second guess that idea completely.

"I mean, I don't know the details yet," Nikki admitted. That was true. The official storyline still had to go across both Stephanie's desk and Vince's before it was given the green light. But she had an idea of how it would be handled.

"Well, hopefully they figure it out soon," Brie clicked her tongue. "Honestly, I hate knowing that I'm in a story, but was never approached about being in one. What if I wanted to sit back and watch the show this year, and not participate? Did anyone think of that? And also, I'm kind of annoyed that not even my own sister mentioned that I was a key player in this wedding over these last few weeks."

Nikki gave a small sigh, biting her lip. She hadn't told Brie that she would be part of it because she had a feeling Brie would object to it. But the alternative would almost positively be a mirror image of the Test/Triple H/Stephanie angle, and the last thing she wanted was to be involved in lazy scripts. She'd already dealt with plenty of that over her years.

"Look, I'm sorry. I figured they'd e-mail you or give you a call," Nikki stuck out her bottom lip, offering a small hug to Brie. Brie groaned in objection, but eventually allowed Nikki to completely wrap her arms around her shoulders.

"Next time, just give me a heads up," Brie stated, point blank. "In the meantime, you have to know at least part of the full plan. What's the most likely scenario? Lay it on me, and if it totally sucks, we can cause a ruckus and change it."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Please insert excuses here.**_

* * *

The phone lay in front of Nikki, completely silent. No texts, no alerts, no... anything.

"See what I mean? It's like I don't even exist in John's world," Nikki sighed, moving her steamed veggies around on her plate. Chara Wright, who played Sister Abigail, sat across from her at a low-key diner.

"He's busy," Chara offered. "I bet he's had to stay late or something for a shoot. I read online that the Transformers movie is taking much longer than expected."

Nikki quirked her eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really, really."

Nikki sighed. "I mean, I don't doubt you. I just think it's interesting that I'm hearing that from you, and not from my fiancé."

Chara gave her a weak smile. But Nikki could tell that she still knew more information than she was letting on.

Nikki's eyes turned to small slits as she sized her friend up. She put down her fork, watching the pretty blonde girl carefully as she smiled at her own phone, undoubtedly making night time plans with her beau.

"Okay, Chara. What do you know that I don't?"

Nikki continued to watch Chara's body language, and she got noticeably rigid. Her spine straightened in her chair, and her eyes darted back down towards her food. She pushed her phone away from her, picking up her fork and shoving her brown rice into her mouth.

"I mean, there's just rumors. Silly rumors," she responded, her expression blank. She gave a small shrug as she swallowed. Nikki continued to eye her suspiciously.

"So help me God, if you don't tell me what they are, I'm going to tell Sami Zayn you want to jump his bones," Nikki scoffed.

"Hey! Well first of all, that's not fair!"

"Neither is hiding stuff from your friends!"

Chara sighed. "Okay, look. You know how AJ and James Ellsworth have been weirdly friendly lately?"

Nikki laughed. For whatever reason, the Chinless Wonder got along with the Champ really well. "Yeah, I know."

"Well, James and Carmella are obviously friendly enough. James mentioned to AJ that he suspects something is going on with Carmella and John."

Nikki's jaw dropped. She felt like she'd been socked in the gut.

"You're serious?"

Chara finally met Nikki's gaze. "Like I said, all it is is some silly rumor. I don't believe it one bit. Ellsworth is a creep, and Carmella is a drama queen. If anything John probably looked at her one time and she blew it out of proportion."

Nikki nodded slowly, but didn't respond. She hoped it was a bad joke. But if it was, why hadn't anyone else told her about this alleged rumor? And, why had it taken so long to drag it out of Chara? To Nikki, that meant it had to have an ounce of truth in it. She was dying to ask why Ellsworth was suspicious of any sort of relationship between the two, but maybe the less she knew, the better...

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she motioned towards their waitress for the check. She had to get out of there, pronto. Why had she been so insistent on coming to the show tonight? She could've been watching re-runs of Sex and the City in the comfort of her big, fluffy bed.

"Nikki, really, I don't think it's anything to give much thought to. Like I said, Carmella is overdramatic and trying to elevate herself," Chara pulled out her wallet, fishing around for her credit card. "I got it, don't worry," she said matter-of-fact after Nikki, too, pulled out her Louis Vuitton wallet.

Nikki thanked Chara, but also made herself a mental note that for whatever next holiday was coming up, she'd get the poor girl a fashionable, quality wallet. Chara clearly had gotten hers from Forever 21.

"Are you staying at the hotel tonight, or heading back home with Brie and Bryan?" Chara asked.

Nikki froze. She hadn't given that any thought. She had originally assumed she'd just go home with her sister, but after the lukewarm reception of her being at SmackDown that night, maybe that wasn't such a great idea. Brie clearly had wanted to spend family time together, sans Nikki. And she was pretty sure that the rest of her family would've left already...

"Guess I'm staying at the hotel," Nikki said, not hiding her disdain. "I just hope they have some vacancy."

"I mean, you can always couch it in our room if you have to," Chara smiled, a little warmer than before. She had a sadness in her eyes, and Nikki hated that she obviously felt some sort of pity towards her.

"That's super sweet of you, but I really don't need to know all the ins and outs of the Phenomenal Forearm," Nikki laughed as she suggestively wiggled her perfectly sculpted eyebros. Now, her spirits had been lifted just a tad.

"Who knew that Nikki Bella could be so crude!" Chara groaned, but laughed along anyways. The waitress had dropped off their final receipt, and Chara scribbled her name at the bottom before grabbing her card and shoving it back into her disgraceful wallet.

"Let's head back. I'm sure the hotel will have something available. I mean, it's four stories of rooms!"

* * *

Luckily, Nikki nabbed one of only two rooms available. As expected, Brie and her cute little family had left hours ago, and Nikki tried hard not to be annoyed that they didn't invite her to stay. After all, they knew that she was in a bad spot right now.

Then again, Brie wasn't exactly thrilled that she'd been roped into a WrestleMania storyline. She was less happy that Nikki had forgotten to mention it. Nikki supposed she had some serious damage control to do as far as her sister was concerned.

After opening the door to her room, which was on the complete opposite end of the hotel way up on the top floor, she allowed her face to falter. Her room was small, with a lumpy bed covered in a cheesy feather-print bedspread. She was thankful that she'd tucked a pint of Jack Daniels into her luggage, which somehow hadn't gotten ransacked by the airlines. She needed it to calm herself after the evening.

After scoping out the bathroom, she decided that it was worthy of taking a bath in. The tub was an older, clawed-foot bathtub that very much reminded her of the one from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. In fact, she was sure they hotel had spent their entire budget on the bathroom and that was why the room itself was such a laugh.

Rummaging through her bags, she found her toiletries. She'd been wise enough to bring her bubble bath along. Almost as though her subconscious knew she'd need the relaxing elixir.

While she allowed the giant tub to fill up with steamy water, she walked down the hall to find a vending machine. Naturally, the soda machine was out of Diet Coke, so she would have to mix her JD with Diet Pepsi instead. A true cap on her already excellent day!

She quietly made her way back down to her room, careful not to disturb any of her neighbors. It wasn't late, per se, but she was in no mood to run into anyone she knew. She wasn't really in a mood to run into any fans, either. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about John Cena's announcement, and her wedding, and Total Divas. She was looking forward to holing up in her room, by herself, and drink like a sailor.

After gently closing her room door behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd made it without running into a single soul.

She slipped out of her Michael Kors jeans, folding them up on the bed. Pulling her Birdiebee sweatshirt over her head, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was definitely losing muscle tone. Sure, she was still thin, but it was clear that she hadn't been eating well. And for the last week or so, she hadn't really been eating at all...

Making a silent pact that she'd spend double-time in her home gym once she got back, she emptied some of her bubble bath into the running water. Dipping her red painted toes in the warm water, she decided it was just about the temperature of hell...which was perfect. Pouring herself a drink using the complimentary plastic cups, she allowed herself to sink into the water.

After a few moments of nursing her mixed drink and allowing the hot water to seep into her soul, she dried her hands and made a grab for her phone. This was a regular occurrence; how she hadn't dropped her phone into her bath by now was nothing short of a miracle.

She opened up her Instagram, looking through a few stories before growing bored. She quickly added a photo of her long, lean legs in the bubbly water to her uploads, careful not to allow her camera to go up too high. She got the little bottle of Jack in the photo by complete chance, and after a few filters, she captioned it:

 _ **Sometimes, a girl needs a hot bath and a man who will never let her down...here's looking at you, Jack! xx Nikki**_

She knew that it might ruffle some feathers, mainly John's, but she didn't care anyways. He hadn't bothered to speak to her all day. And if he was going to speak to her now, it would probably be because of this photo being too scandalous for his taste.

She watched the "likes" stack up. Renee Young, posting an emoji with hearts for eyes. Ruby Riott, with a thumbs up. Gross comments from weird male fans. More likes.

 _SethRollinsWWE_ was the next person to like her photo. She caught herself smiling. She quickly went through her contacts, hovering her thumb over Seth's name. They would be forced into a storyline together really, really soon. The least she could do is get to know him better.

But he should be home in Iowa, and the last thing she wanted was to bother him on his off days. Her loneliness was enveloping her, though, so she finally decided to text him. She typed and re-typed what she wanted to say, because she didn't want to seem interested in him. The last thing she wanted was to get rumors rolling around backstage about _her._

 _ **Care to share my JD for the night?**_

She waited for what seemed like an eternity. Realizing that she probably had bothered him while he was with his girlfriend, she swirled the last bit of her drink before downing it. Her bath was losing its heat quickly, and her bubbles were beginning to pop.

As she played with the idea of grabbing the starched towel, her phone buzzed on the toilet next to her.

 ** _Looks pretty small to me,_** Seth had countered with.

 ** _Come on, everyone knows its not the size that matters. It's how you use it. :)_**

The reply came back almost instantly, a laughing/crying emoji. She figured Seth was done talking for the night, so she carefully got out of the tub. The hotel's towels were hardly bath towels, so it took two of them to dry her off completely. As she changed into clean underwear and a night shirt, she gathered her hair at the top of her head before pulling back the bedspread. Luckily, the sheets were good quality.

After a while, she unlocked her phone to see that Seth actually _had_ messaged her back. Surprised, she opened the little chat icon:

 _ **Maybe after RAW next week? Last one before WM!**_

Nikki agreed, knowing they had a lot to go over before the show in less than two weeks. Although they had plans later this week to meet with Stephanie to finalize the details, she wasn't fully comfortable working with Rollins. And she would have to be, given the type of storyline they were going to be in...

Unfortunately, the best way to get comfortable working with the guy was to get to know him.

 _ **Looking forward to joining SD Live?**_ Nikki had asked him. It was nearing 11 PM, so she knew that it was unlikely she'd get a response.

 _ **Yes. But sad to leave the Shield behind. Lucky to be working with you, of course.**_

Nikki smiled to herself. _**I'll be a great kayfabe wife. For better for worse, and til death do us part!**_

 ** _I didn't doubt you for a second. Have a great night, Nicole. Talk to you in the morning._**

Slightly disappointed that Seth had wrapped up the conversation, Nikki realized she was indeed exhausted. Rather than close her eyes, though, she grabbed the rest of her Jack Daniels and finished it off, all by her lonesome, as she went through her old Instagram photos.

John still hadn't bothered to talk to her at all that day.

* * *

"So, you're really taking on that storyline?" Sarah had asked Seth as she brushed her teeth to get ready for bed. "You know, I don't really like it."

Seth lay in his bed, going through photos on Instagram. In a weird coincidence, Nikki Bella's newest post had appeared. A very risqué photo of her legs in a bubble bath. Just a little bit higher up, and she would basically break the internet. He noticed the bottle of Jack balanced on the countertop, then read the caption. He didn't know that Nikki Bella had a liking for anything other than expensive wine.

Of course, he didn't know much about her at all anymore. Not since...

"Hello, earth to Seth?" Sarah poked her head out of the bathroom, hand on her hip with her toothbrush in the air.

"Sorry, I was just reading over an e-mail from Mark," Seth lied easily. Too easily.

"So the storyline is a go," Sarah replied grumpily.

"Of course it is, my sweet," Seth liked Nikki's photo before closing the app, giving a good solid stretch. "If it means earning a title again, I'm in."

"But why does it have to be alongside a girl?" Sarah whined, emerging from the bathroom before slipping next to him. "More specifically, that one?"

"What's wrong with Nikki?" Seth questioned. "She's nice," he added on.

Sarah grunted. "Yeah, but didn't you guys have a thing?"

Seth choked on his own spit. "What the-no! She's been with John longer than I've been on the main roster, Sarah."

"Hmmm," Sarah replied sleepily. She muttered an incoherent reply, and Seth lay there, watching her body rise and fall. Her breath evened out, and she was clearly asleep.

Sarah was lucky, Seth thought. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she could fall asleep. Seth, however, sometimes took hours to fall asleep. His body was permanently sore, and sometimes he noticed that he had to sleep with his bum knee elevated, or it would lock up and cause him horrible cramps in the morning.

He'd gotten a text from Nikki during the ten minute stretch, and peaked over to Sarah once again, ensuring she really was sleeping.

Nikki had offered him some Jack Daniels, in a totally platonic way. Seth thought carefully, choosing his words with caution. It was no secret that when the Shield first got to the main roster, he had his eyes set on Nikki. Pretty much everyone in the locker room, except Nikki, had known that. But she was so far out of his league that all they would ever be was friends. They'd done a few signings together while they were both Champions, and that only made him pine for her a little more. She was nothing short of amazing.

Then, she'd gotten injured, and was taken off television for a long time. Because of sidelining injuries, they'd grown more distant over the years. But that was fine with him, really. The last thing he needed was another one of his girlfriends being crazy jealous over his co-workers.

Then again, Nikki was something special, and John Cena was one lucky guy.

Bantering back and forth with Nikki for a little while put him in a good mood. He'd lucked out. Finally, he was getting a push he deserved. Even better, he'd be able to hang out with an old friend again. She was cool, hard-working, and would give anything and everything to the company, just the same as he would. He figured that's why she was going through with the storyline at all. Seth knew it probably wasn't easy on her to take a step back from real life to play a villain.

"Mmmm, Seth?" Sarah had woken up. "Why are you still up?" she questioned him.

"Sorry, babe. Just work. Go back to sleep."

"You should be sleeping, too," she replied, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "We're going to the ranch tomorrow, remember?"

Seth sighed, finishing his conversation off with Nikki before tucking himself into bed next to his girlfriend. He enjoyed spending time with her, and he really did love her. Unfortunately, she just didn't understand the business he was in. He also found that they often had nothing to talk about because they simply didn't have much in common. She loved horseback riding and nature, while Seth's life revolved around wrestling. But she had a good, pure heart. That was something he'd never had in a relationship before, and initially what drew them together in the first place.

That was something he needed after all the drama he'd had with his ex-girlfriends in the past.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Please insert excuses here.**_

* * *

"Did you hear me?" Sarah called to Seth from across the field, feeding one of the horses, Sonata, a sugar cube. She turned towards him, a lazy smile on her face when the horse licked her hand clean. She gave the chestnut beauty a pat on the nose, watching Seth. He still hadn't responded to her.

"What could you possibly be doing on your phone while we're here?" Sarah asked, slowly dragging her booted feet towards him. Seth was busy on his phone, a grim expression washing over his face.

"Sarah, I'm really sorry. I'm going to have to run down to Black and Brave."

Sarah's face fell. "Again? But we haven't finished the chores here yet," she gestured towards the newly refurbished barn, a Christmas gift from Seth just months ago.

"I know, babe. I'm sorry. Ever since that accident, I've been swamped between lawyers and contracts and all that."

Sarah sighed. "I get it. Sometimes I wish that you were more focused on me and our relationship. There are more important things in life than work, you know?"

Seth grit his teeth. He wanted to fire back. Sarah loved using that line on him, that there were more important things than work. But to Seth, there really wasn't. Yes, he'd love to spend more time with Sarah because being around her was great. But between Black and Brave and WWE, it was a nonstop rotation between the two. He couldn't really ignore either place if they were reaching out to him.

"I know," he gave her a lopsided smile, opting to just tell her what she wanted to hear. "We'll have plenty of time together after 'Mania."

Sarah gave a small laugh. "If you say so," she muttered, turning back away. "I'll stay here, though. We really can't keep putting off some of these chores."

Seth wanted to comment on that, too. He'd been on the road for the last week. Of _course_ he didn't want to spend his couple days home doing chores! He also hated that she made him feel bad for leaving. Sarah had plenty of time to do this shit while he was away. Why did she insist that he come along?

"I should have figured that there was possibility you'd get called away when you insisted on bringing two cars," she continued on, not hiding the disappointment in her voice. She turned back to the horse, patting his nose as she spoke to it. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was clearly cutting off further communication with him. In other words, she was pissed.

"I'll meet you back home at dinner," Seth called out to her. She turned only slightly, giving him a nod before brushing Sonata's mane.

Frustrated, he fished in his pockets for his car keys.

After turning out of the gravel drive, he turned his music up to deafening levels. Sometimes, he really wondered about how things between them could ever work. She was quick to say that she'd just stay there. If she was that keen on spending time together, she'd run to the Academy with him. But she wouldn't do that, because she hated it. She had begged him a few times to either sell it or give 51 percent ownership to his business partner. He'd fought back, though, because Black and Brave was his baby. Not even Sarah was going to take that away from him.

But thinking this way wasn't fair. Things between him and Sarah were usually pretty great. Maybe he was just getting anxious because of all this change in his life happening so quickly.

"New Text Message from Zahra Schreiber," his car alerted him, bringing up the alert on his radio's screen. Every time this happened, he couldn't help but be amazed at technology. He clicked the "read" option, against his better judgement. Sarah would kill him if she knew he still spoke to Zahra every now and again.

"I will be in Iowa for a photo shoot tonight if you want to catch up!" Seth's car read to him in a monotonous voice. Unfortunately, Zahra's version of catching up generally meant a few hours rubbing against each other in a bar's corner booth. Although it was admittedly tempting because she was absolutely stunning, though a little trashy, he couldn't do that to Sarah. She already had a tough time trusting him completely.

That, and he'd heard that Zahra was busy under Sonya Deville's covers.

Then, his mind flashed to Nikki. He could just see her face falling in disappointment; the same as he'd seen during their initial meeting about this storyline. He ignored Zahra's message, deciding to delete it as soon as he got out of the car.

* * *

Nikki smiled warmly when she'd gotten the text from Seth.

 _ **Birdiebee, shows, starting a new skin care line...seriously, how do you do it? I am struggling!**_

How did she do it? She supposed she was good at putting the right people in charge.

 _ **Oversee things, but don't hover,**_ she responded swiftly. If she spent too much time focusing on one thing, others would certainly begin to suffer. She couldn't do that, which is why she had started to delegate. Nonetheless, once this storyline kicked it into high gear, she'd have to focus on WWE as her main priority, and her wedding as her second. Brie was normally just at home now, fully ready and able to make sure their wine business, Birdiebee, and their skin care line would go off without a hitch. If there was anyone she'd trust to keep an eye on their ever-growing tower, it was her sister.

Seth didn't respond. That was okay, though, because she was busy getting her hair colored. Back to black, to reflect her pending heel turn. Well, that, and it was easy to pull off Twin Magic without the blonde bits in her hair.

"Wedding planning, my dear?" Ricky, her hairdresser, asked without looking at her in the mirror.

Nikki laughed once. Ricky was someone she had opened up to many times. Hairdressers were much like bartenders; she supposed, often lending an ear when there were serious issues at hand. Some of the best advice she'd ever gotten was from Ricky. Like the time he advised spicing up the bedroom life with John by dragging a little bondage into it.

 _Looking back, that was GREAT advice._

"Uh-oh. Don't tell me Johnny is getting chilled feet, now!" Ricky stepped back, his expression appeared to be shocked. Nikki knew better, though.

"Don't pretend that it's a surprise," she muttered, trying her hardest to mask her annoyance.

"Oh, but dear, it is!" Ricky shot back, putting some more of her hair dye solution on his brush. "Such a turnaround by Mr. Cena as of late. From never wanting to get married to proposing to you? Opening the possibility to children one day? The only reason he's even given that thought is because of you." Ricky's French accent was thick, and Nikki admitted that she loved hearing him speak. She supposed that his fiancé, Michael, also did, too.

Nikki looked up into the mirror, meeting the gaze of her friend. "I should feel excited, but I'm not," she admitted. "Because it doesn't feel like it's for real. It feels like...it feels like it's just a lie. Like he did it for a nice paycheck, you know?"

Ricky looked at her quizzically, stopping his brush for a moment as he thought. "The best advice I've ever gotten, as far as relationships go, is that it is not selfish to love yourself and realize what it is that _you_ need. Perhaps we spend too much time focusing on what it is that makes our partner happy. Take care of yourself, make you and your happiness a priority and surely, if it is meant for you, it'll work out. That's just it. Anything you can't control is teaching you that you need to let go."

Nikki huffed once. "You think I should let John go?" her eyes narrowed. She'd been down this road a million times with her family.

Ricky shook his head. "No, not at all. But you can't control the way John thinks and feels, and you can't control what he ultimately wants. He can tell you he wants something to make you happy, and completely change his mind. But it's important for you to realize that that's not your fault."

"Ugh! Why does love have to be so complicated?" Nikki heard herself whine. She didn't mean to, but she truly felt she could be at breaking point.

Ricky tsked. "My dear, love is not complicated. People are."

Nikki thought about that as Ricky continued to work his magic with her hair, eventually leaving her deep in her own mind to allow the necessary time for her hair to process.

She had wanted John to change. Of course she had. But because she loved him so much, she had allowed herself to twist her own beliefs just because the thought of being without him was too scary. It was hard to remind herself that her relationship with John was much different than Brie and Bryan's.

 _But why should it be?_ That nagging voice in the back of her head made her wonder.

As though it were planned by the Universe, her phone chirped.

 ** _Maybe you'll have to give me some tips and tricks. So glad that out of anyone, you'll be my kayfabe wife._**

Nikki couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. She was acting like such a brat when it came to her role with Seth on WWE television, but she had to remain positive. Maybe she'd find herself again. And, if anyone had decent relationship advice, she was certain that Seth would have it. Nikki imagined the car rides between them; she would offer her knowledge on business in general, he would counter with what she could do to make sure that John didn't feel like it was a necessity that he marry her. Maybe he'd be the voice of reason.

Nikki's mind began to wander, however. What if she was forcing something that just couldn't...wouldn't ever work? It was beginning to look likely. But then, all the wasted time made her heart ache. Why would John waste her time for so many years? How did they ever even get to this point?

 _ **Could use some husbandly advice, to be honest!**_ Nikki responded. It wasn't like her to bring someone outside of Brie or even Bryan into her relationship, but she was going to be spending a ton of time with Rollins. Maybe an outside perspective would be what she needed.

 _ **Perhaps we'll have to catch up and run lines before our big day.**_

Yes, WrestleMania Axxess was only three days away. They both were scheduled to be there. That meant WrestleMania weekend was right around the corner, and she only had a general idea of how their segment was going to go. Apparently, Vince had rejected three scripts so far, and Hunter and Steph were beginning to get frustrated. They, too, didn't want to mirror their own 'wedding' too closely. So, Nikki had a feeling she wouldn't know the full jist of the storyline until she actually walked backstage at 'Mania.

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Axxess**_

Nikki sighed. She loved everything about WrestleMania; from the fans to the heightened emotions. There was something different about the atmosphere that you couldn't just get from any old show. Still, she was admittedly a bit nervous walking into this. The unknown.

Well, at least the next few days were planned out enough. Tonight, she'd be signing some autographs along with Brie, Paige, Chara, and Carmella. She silently cursed herself for forgetting to pick Chara up a new wallet. Though she was still a lower-card Superstar, she was still going to be in the Women's Battle Royal and be one of the final three, which generally meant management was high on you.

Nikki smiled, glad that things were seeming to go well for her friend in career as well as relationship. She tried to stifle that pang of jealousy; AJ Styles was a great guy, and Chara was extremely lucky that despite it all, things worked out.

Nikki wheeled her Louis Vuitton luggage bag behind her, glad she'd decided to dress up a little for travel rather than wear what she wanted (Nike sweatpants and a Birdiebee hoodie). Nope, she broke out some tight-fitting black skinny jeans, a long-sleeved chiffon top that left little to imagination, and her favorite platform heels. Her hair was tied up in a long braid. She'd managed to put on some makeup and make it look decent. She would never be as good as Eileen or the WWE Glam Squad ladies, but this would do.

"Nicole! Over here!" Nikki turned to see a journalist, clearly stated with his hanging badge.

She gave a sweet smile and a quick wave, otherwise planning to ignore the guy and get changed for the night.

"Nikki-is it true that John is seeing Carmella on the side?"

Nikki froze, if only for a second. She didn't want the journalist to read her body language. She was used to people questioning John's fidelity. Hers too, for that matter. But it was the first time that a journalist had brought up this new rumor about Carmella and John. That meant someone on the internet said something, and the mill was churning with that information.

She straightened her back, and quickly turned back to the journalist.

"Of course not," she smiled. "We're going to be married in just a few days."

She didn't hear his response-something about the wedding not being real because it was wrestling-but she chose to stop listening. She was so silent, in fact, she could almost hear her heart breaking into a million little pieces.

 _What if there is truth to the rumor?_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Don't forget to check out the story before this, "Guardian"...this one can certainly be read as a stand-alone, but some characters (Chara/AJ/Baron Corbin) could raise questions in the future.**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Axxess, continued**_

Nikki had changed into a cropped "Do More Fearless" version of her own merch, opting for a super short jean mini skirt for her bottom half. She broke out some tall black boots that highlighted her upper thighs, which she'd been working hard on sculpting to perfection.

The WWE Glam Squad had spruced up her makeup just a little bit, impressed at how well she'd done on her own. One of her favorite WWE makeup ladies, Sierra, had even commented that if Nikki ever stepped away from the ring for good, she could probably join their crew. Nikki figured she'd have to remember that, because not only did she love makeup, but she was very aware that her in-ring career couldn't be forever.

After all, she supposed she'd gotten glammed up enough in her tenure that she had an idea of how to do it herself.

"WWE meets _Pretty Woman_ , or what?" Brie asked her as she tied a red and black flannel around her waist. Brie wore a "Brie Mode" Birdiebee tank top and some old jeans, complete with a red headband.

"Oh my god, Brie. Seriously, get a life," Nikki replied with a whine, sticking her tongue out at her sister. Brie often liked to pick on her for some of her more promiscuous outfit choices. It was all in good fun, and Brie laughed as a reply.

"Are you doing okay? Like, _really_ doing okay?" Brie's voice grew serious, her eyebrows knitting together as she searched her sister's face for anything that might spell out bad news.

Nikki shrugged. "All it is...is business, right?" she tried to assert that confidently, and Brie's expression showed that she wasn't going to listen to any bullshit.

"Pushing back the wedding, _Total Bellas_ , faking a break up for the cameras. Come on, Nicole. I know you're Superwoman, but the real life starting to leak into work life is too much. I'm not a total moron."

"Really, Brie. It will be okay," Nikki smiled confidently. "Things will get sorted out in the end. The lines being blurred between what is real and what isn't is definitely frustrating, don't get me wrong, but I just know that the payoff will be worth it in the end."

"How do you know that? It's like giving WWE complete faith that they, along with E!, will do the right thing for _your_ life. I'm telling you, you're in control. If I were you, I'd say that it's not gonna work for you and decline any offer WWE is giving you and John. It's going to throw a serious monkey wrench into your real-life." Brie's tone was empathetic, but annoyingly motherly. Brie was often the voice of reason, but Nikki hated when she tried to give life advice.

It just reminded her that her sister had everything figured out, while she was barely keeping her head above water...

On one hand, Nikki agreed with her sister's grievances. But John was quick to accept the offer, and that was that. Besides, it was time to change things up a little bit for the company's sake. She needed a character change anyways, especially if she ever wanted to so much as challenge for one of the Women's Championship belts ever again. She was well-aware of the amazing, talented women that deserved title opportunities. Being a veteran now, Nikki knew she was likely to be passed over.

"I hate that the WWE is bringing your real struggles into storylines, Nicole," Brie crossed her arms, shifting her weight. "It isn't healthy."

Nikki shrugged. "Maybe not, but it's real. And when the pain is real, it makes better shows and ratings in the long run."

Brie quietly groaned as she rolled her eyes. "Such great storylines that you don't even know how this wedding thing is going to go?"

"That's not my fault, that's on Vince," Nikki shot back, realizing that Brie was really beginning to get under her skin.

"Whatever. I would have never allowed it to get this far if I were in your shoes."

"Yeah, but you're not. You've got a perfect family, perfect house, and perfect life," Nikki spat, her cheeks growing warm.

"You and I both know that's not true!" Brie's voice was shrill, and she uncrossed her arms, clenching her hands at her sides now. She was pretty pissed, and Nikki could see she'd struck a nerve. It was true; Brie didn't have a perfect life. With her husband still on the road all the time as the SmackDown Live General Manager, she often had to hold down the fort at home by herself. Plus, she wasn't sure she was ready to step away from the ring forever, but Birdie was still too small to give serious thought to training.

"Look, I'm sorry," Nicole finally eased up. "I know that it's not ideal, but I'm a firm believer that I should take opportunities as they are given. If I said no, John wouldn't be doing anything at WrestleMania, and I would be sitting in the crowd. And what about Seth? He'll get moved to SmackDown after the show, but then what? Get lost in the shuffle? He doesn't deserve that. There are too many people affected to be petty about this."

Brie's tense body language relaxed just a little bit, her eyes softening. "I don't agree with it, but I get where you're coming from. Whatever you do, though, don't allow the story to become a reality."

Nikki laughed. "What do you mean? Don't fall in love with Seth Rollins?"

Brie raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Just know what is real and what isn't."

Nikki opened her mouth to say something else, but she was cut off by a very recognizable British drawl.

"Well hello there, ladies!" Paige snuck up behind them, putting her arms around both their shoulders. She looked fantastic; Nikki had to admit. Her lips were a little much, but she'd trimmed down a lot, and her muscles were really showing her hard work.

"How are my two most favorite babes?" Paige asked, laying it on thick. "Haven't seen you lovelies in a while."

From there, the three women caught up a little bit, and Nikki decided to let Brie's worries roll into the back of her mind. Her sister was being way overdramatic. It was WrestleMania weekend, and it was damn time to party like it was!

* * *

"Nikki, what kind of wedding dress are you planning on wearing?" A younger, maybe middle-school aged girl asked her.

Nikki laughed, showing off her perfect white teeth. "Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, but it's definitely something elegant. I had it made especially for the occasion," she replied. Of course, that was a lie. She wouldn't be wearing white at all come WrestleMania Sunday, but it was probably something that was elegant and made for the occasion.

"Nikki, will Brie be standing at your side as a bridesmaid?" another voice chimed in.

 _Fuck,_ she thought distastefully. She didn't actually know.

"I mean, I've always imagined that my sister would be there," she took Brie's hand, who was sitting right next to her. "I guess everyone is going to have to wait and see."

The Q & A session prior to signing autographs was almost over, and Nikki was admittedly relieved. Unfortunately for the other women, a lot of the questions had been directed towards her and her upcoming nuptials. Normally, Nikki thrived on being the center of attention. And although she knew that maybe that was a little bit selfish, it was the truth. However, because she had so little information about the so-called wedding, she felt bad that she couldn't offer much information. At least not without giving away the whole entire plot.

In a quick flash, one of the security guards standing behind the women slipped a note to her. It was done so swiftly, that unless you were up on stage with the ladies, there was no way anyone could catch it.

 _ **The final question is a plant. Keep your cool, it's being recorded. -Hunter**_

It was hard not to glow at this note. Hunter was bringing the storyline into the session, which meant that finally, there were going to be some answers in regards to where this was going to go.

"Alright, everyone. Final question!" the moderator spoke. "Then we can open the line for autographs."

"Yeah, I have a question for Nikki," a familiar, gravelly voice spoke from the entrance. Everyone gasped, and the whole room turned to see former Shield member, Seth Rollins, leaning up against the door frame. He was surrounded by security, ensuring that none of the crazed fans would try to swarm him upon his intrusion.

"Okay, shoot," Nikki gave a small smile, her eyes dancing as Seth's dark ones held her gaze. It was weird; she hadn't actually seen him in forever, but just by him being in the same room gave her a weird shot of adrenaline. Were those nervous butterflies? Was she actively _sweating_ just because this handsome guy was about to be her partner in crime?

Choosing not to look at the way his jeans clung to his hips nor the way his curly hair kissed the nape of his neck, she eyed him mischievously. "Come on, Rolins, we don't have all day," she finally sighed into the microphone. This caused a few fans to whisper, each of them wondering what kind of game they were playing here.

"Isn't it true that John told you he never wanted to marry you? Nor have children?" Seth started. Nikki began to say something in response, but was cut off immediately.

"I'm not done yet. Don't you find it strange that suddenly, he changed his mind? Doesn't it bother you that you spend so many nights alone, in his big mansion, while he's out doing whatever he wants? Nikki, doesn't it bother you that deep down, you aren't happy, because you're settling? I realize that there are a lot of questions here, but you need to understand that when it comes to guys like John Cena, you will forever be an afterthought. Maybe you should take a look at the bigger picture, and question why your own family is trying to tell you to step away from the groom."

Nikki opened her mouth once again to response, but Rollins held up one hand. "Your reply isn't necessary. For once, maybe you should stop talking and believing the lies. Instead, listen to everyone around you and recognize the truth."

With that, he was ushered out, the security guards now acting like that whole thing wasn't a ploy by the WWE. One of them even told Seth he'd done enough damage, and he wasn't welcome in this Q & A session.

Fans had been recording this on their phones, even though they technically weren't allowed. Nikki noticed that there was a camera up by the exit nearest to her, which undoubtedly caught the entire interaction. If she had to guess, the altercation was going to be spinning around the internet in just a few hours. Not to mention, the WWE Network editors would be hard at work editing until the scene was perfected, to be released as a exclusive.

Stunned, Nikki turned to her sister, her mouth hanging open. She had to hide that she'd actually been quite embarrassed. Then again, she knew she wouldn't have done well knowing that this was going to happen. That was probably why it was sprung on her literally last-minute.

"Okay, well, that was quite odd," the moderator smiled, acting as if everything was sunshine and daisies. "Let's move on. Those in the front row may stand, and single-file move to the center of the aisles."

Nikki tuned out the instructions given by the ditzy woman, quirking a brow up at Brie. "Did you know about that?" she asked in a hushed tone. Daniel often had the ins on a lot of things, and she suspected he'd already told her sister about Seth's interruption.

Brie's eyes grew big. "Of course not!"

Nikki shot her a look. "Seth literally said that I should listen to my family. You told me when we first got here that I should turn down WWE's offer!" she tried really hard to keep her voice down, not wanting her microphone to catch anything she was saying to her sister.

"Nicole, I swear on all that I love, I didn't know they had anything planned."

Paige leaned down and looked at Nikki, wearing a confused expression of her own.

"Was that a shoot?" she mouthed, trying to hide her mouth behind her waterbottle so nobody could read her lips.

"I don't know, but it sure felt like one," Nikki grumbled.

"I wouldn't think too much about it. They obviously wanted the moment to feel real and raw," Brie whispered back. "I think that whatever they were going for worked just fine."


	7. Chapter 7

_**So soon? Oh, but when inspiration strikes!**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Axxess, following the autograph session**_

Carmella and Nattie sat side by side, huddled over Nat's phone. Chara stood idly waiting on Nikki, hoping that she could have a quick chat with her once she wrapped up arguing with Brie.

That interruption by Seth Rollins was totally frickin' weird, but it was definitely planned. However, Chara suspected Seth was told to go in there, guns blazing, and speak his mind. She supposed that's why Nikki was upset, being totally blindsided by the attack. She felt awful for her friend, and wanted to see if she wanted to go out for a little bit.

And since AJ would be busy for most the evening, she hoped to catch up with Nikki because unfortunately, with Bray out of this year's WrestleMania scene, Chara was still trying to find her footing with the rest of the roster. At least she had a certain friend in Nikki.

"I just think it's a little pathetic that she doesn't know," Carmella whispered in a hushed voice.

"I honestly just feel bad for her. He's never going to give her what she wants."

Chara couldn't help but tune in to the conversation. The way the two were speaking made her think that maybe they didn't really want to be heard.

"I mean, who says that about someone they're planning on marrying?" Carmella shook her head.

"Sounds like you've got a little jealousy bug," Natalya countered playfully. Carmella shot her a look, quizzically searching the other blonde's face to see if she was being serious.

"Don't be silly. He's just been a really good friend to me since things with Cass...well, you know. Besides, he's been great at kicking my ass in the gym the few times. I needed that."

"You've hung out at the gym?" Nat asked, a little too loudly.

"Shhh! Not really, but a little bit while we were both in Florida. I asked for some tips, that's it."

"I'd just watch yourself. You don't want people to get the wrong idea."

"You mean, people like Nikki," Carmella rolled her eyes.

"Or maybe people like her friends," Chara came over to them, a wild rage in her eyes. Nikki had been nothing but a great inspiration to every one of them, and to hear Carmella spouting off about her fiancé made her a bit angry. "I don't mean to intrude, but does Nikki know that you have been having gym sessions with the man she hasn't seen in weeks?" Chara asked Carmella, holding her gaze. She would be able to tell immediately if the Staten Island Princess was handing her a line of bullshit.

"Maybe if you heard the entire conversation, _Indie Darling_ ," Carmella spat, distastefully reminding Chara of her TNA and Ring of Honor roots. "I haven't had a gym session with John in a while. Not since he started filming. And honestly, it was no big deal. I needed help bulking up, and learning the business to improve my rankings. Who better than Mr. WWE himself?"

Chara took a step back, not wanting any more conflict or tension than what was already brewing. She'd already heard that Carmella had a thing for John, and this all but confirmed the stories AJ had brought up.

"I'm sorry," Chara gave an empty apology. "I don't mean to start any shit with you guys." Carmella shot Nattie a snotty look, and Chara finally got a glance at what they were watching on Nat's phone.

"Really, I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking, what are you guys watching?"

"We mind," Carmella grumbled, and Nat smacked her quickly. "Forgive her," the veteran apologized on the other woman's behalf. "She's been hanging around with Ellsworth too much, and forgot how to use manners."

"It's all right," Chara replied, knowing that Carmella just really didn't like her butting in. Nattie tilted the phone just enough for Chara to see that it was a taped Q & A session from just around the same time as their own, and it was on Twitter. Except instead of their Q & A, it was John Cena's handsomely boyish smile on the camera.

"Here, I'll start it from the beginning," Nattie offered. "It's just kind of sad, the whole thing," she explained. It was only a short clip, and Chara watched with intrigue. Just as there own session had gone, John's was mostly based on his upcoming WrestleMania wedding.

 _ **"John, how deep are your feelings for Nikki?"**_ an obvious fangirl asked him.

With a shy smile, John stated matter-of-factly, _**"Nikki is something special. I'm quite fond of her."**_

 _"Fond?"_ Chara was taken aback. "He was supposed to marry Nikki next month, and all he can say is that he's _fond?!"_

"Exactly," Nattie clicked her tongue. "It gets worse," she inched her phone just a little closer to Chara.

 _ **"John, there are reports that just a few minutes ago, Seth Rollins broke into the Women's Q & A session. He demanded that Nikki realize that she could never be happy with you. Do you think that's true? That realistically, Nikki wouldn't be happy?"**_

 _ **"I hadn't heard about that,"**_ John said calmly, referring to the Seth Rollins intrusion _ **.**_

 _Too calmly,_ Chara thought. She gave him the benefit of the doubt, though, and listened on:

 _ **"But honestly? As much as I want to make Nicole happy, I worry that I can't. She deserves the world, and I tell her that all the time. What if I'm not the right person to give her that? But, I can at least give her a wedding on Sunday, and all of you will be invited to watch it live on the WWE Network,"**_ John shamelessly plugged the product.

"What the hell?" Chara's brows furrowed, annoyed with John. She'd always liked him, but this side of him that she was seeing made her distrust him and think that maybe there were a lot more issues going on upstairs than he was letting on.

"I know, right?!" Nattie shook her head sadly. "Does that sound like a guy that is gearing up to get married soon? Because I really don't think so."

"Well, they pushed back the wedding for this new storyline," Chara replied. "You know, the one with Seth."

"But _is_ that why they pushed back their wedding? _Really_?" Carmella squinted her eyes into little, tiny slits. "Or, is it because John isn't the right person to give her what she wants, and he hopes that this storyline will help her to realize that?"

Chara tapped her thumb to her chin in thought. Blondie had a point. It hadn't occurred to her before that maybe this idea with Seth and Nikki's alliance wasn't entirely the work of the WWE Creative department, but came straight from John himself to mask the real issue: he didn't want to let Nikki down, but he knew he had to.

"Ugh, sorry to keep you guys waiting," Nikki walked into the room, with blotchy skin. She'd clearly been crying, but her smile was radiant nonetheless. Chara had to give her credit; evidently, the last thing she wanted was for everyone to know she'd been rattled.

"It's okay, sweetie," Nattie's tone changed instantly, and Chara kind of felt put off about the way her voice changed. It was almost...fake. As though she was only being kind to Nikki because of the things she knew, not because she meant it.

"I saw a really great place down the road that has half-price margaritas after five," Chara offered, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. With a little tequila in her, maybe Nikki would feel better in no time.

"That sounds great!" Carmella replied a little over-enthusiastically. "Nat, what do you think?"

"For sure!" Natalya smiled widely. "I just want to change out of this quick," she made a quick motion towards her top, which was a latex tank top that was very similar to her ring gear. Her boobs were popping out the top, and it even looked uncomfortable.

"Whatever, you look great," Carmella laughed. "Nikki, I know you have a wedding to plan, but you really ought to have fun with the girls," she gave her a sickly sweet smirk, and Chara knew that she was trying to get under Nikki's skin.

Nikki was either oblivious to the obvious jab, or she just didn't care. "Actually, I really would love to go, but I'm exhausted. I've also got to meet with Brian James, because apparently he's producing my wedding on Sunday. And I don't really know what to expect yet."

"Suit yourself! Chara, we'll meet you in the hotel lobby at 5:30," Nattie stated, matter-of-fact. Chara agreed, though disappointed that she'd be forced to spend time with these two conniving witches. Then again, Nikki wouldn't be around forever, and maybe she ought to consider getting to know some of the other women on the roster a little better as well.

* * *

 _ **You. Me. Hotel bar VIP section, NOW.**_

 _Where was he?! She'd sent that text almost half an hour ago, and he should be done with all his 'Mania activities by now!_

Nikki tapped her foot anxiously waiting in the curtained VIP area of their hotel. Seth had some fucking explaining to do.

"What can I get you, my love?" asked the bartender, an older woman who had a Cajun dialect. The wrinkles in her eyes were oddly very pretty when she smiled, and Nikki felt a little calmed. Maybe it was because she reminded her a bit of her Nana.

"A vodka and tonic. Make it a double," she replied. "And, if you have any lime?"

"Of course, dear," the woman nodded happily. "A rough night?"

"A rough life," Nikki sighed.

As if on cue, Seth appeared from behind the heavy velvet curtain blocking them off from the rest of the bar.

"Sorry," he apologized to Nikki, his dark eyes shining with what little lighting they had to work with. "I ran into some crazy fans on the elevator. Had to come through the emergency exit in the back."

"Cut the shit," Nikki replied dully, not interested in his silly excuses. She avoided his curious gaze, focused on sipping on the drink that was placed in front of her. "Your little outburst today was fucking embarrassing."

Seth sighed as he pulled up the stool next to her. "Whatever IPA you've got on tap," he told the woman as she looked at him inquisitively. She nodded in a reply, but didn't say anything.

"You realize that I didn't know that I was going to bust in on your session until like, five minutes before it happened, right?" he asked her slowly, his eyes watching the liquid amber solution swirl in his glass. He brought it to his lips, wincing at the flavor. "Bitter," he said to no one in particular.

"I know you didn't. But everyone thinks it was a shoot. And it was taped! I look like a fool. That made it to the number one video trending in 22 countries in just like, three hours."

Seth nodded, as though he was proud. "Impressive," he said thoughtfully.

"Not so much," Nikki snipped back. "Please tell me that those lines were fed to you, because the last thing I need is for you to tell me I'm making a bad choice. You were supposed to help me plan for this wedding while we travel for the next few months. I thought if anyone would understand where I was coming from, it would be you," Nikki took a grab once again for her drink, eyeing up the former Shield brother.

"Of course it was written for me," Seth replied. "You know that the WWE doesn't allow you to go off without a word-for-word promo these days. And although I appreciate that you think I could've come up with such a moving speech on my own, I didn't write it."

That comforted Nikki. Allowing her wall to come down just a little bit, she breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I don't mean to come after you like that," Nikki tried to be calm, but she knew she sounded like a crazed lunatic. "You've got to realize how stressful this is for me."

Seth laughed once. "For _you?_ I mean, I get it, Nic, I do. But it was ultimately your choice to allow things to play out this way. Kudos to you and John. Allowing the lines between kayfabe and reality to be blurred like this really takes some honor and sacrifice. Proves to me that you both have success on your minds. But I do want you to realize it's stressful for me, too. I've worked my ass off to get back to the top after my knee injury. I've done all I can to prove myself worthy of another Championship run. It's great I'm going to get it, but as much as I enjoy working with you, this wouldn't have been my first choice on how it would've all gone."

Nikki couldn't help but scoff, slightly offended by The Architect.

"I don't mean to upset you, or offend you in any way," Seth put his hands up defensively, realizing he'd struck a nerve with the twin.

"But you did," Nikki replied hotly, taking a long drink from her glass. It was pretty much ice now, and the bartender was slacking on getting her a refill.

"It's hard on my relationship, too," he said quietly. "I mean, I love Sarah because we're happily comfortable. But you? You're the unknown, and it scares her. But you're also the ticket to get me to the place in my career that I really need to be."

Nikki almost choked on her ice, which alerted the bartender (finally) that she'd been sucking air through her straw for a good ten minutes now. She promptly returned to the pair with another drink for Nikki, watching Seth with a careful eye to make sure he wasn't bothering the woman. Nikki felt a bit of gratefulness in her heart; it was entirely good of the bartender to be watchful of any wrongdoings while she was on the clock.

"I'm the ticket to get you to where you need to be? You've got to be kidding!" Nikki laughed, obviously a little tipsy already...whatever, she didn't have any food in her stomach.

"You are, because even though you don't want to realize it, you've build an empire for yourself," Seth tried to stay calm, but she could see she'd upset him by laughing at him.

"So?"

"So, by pairing us up together, the WWE is doing something right for once," Seth said simply. "Accept that, and you and I will do exactly what we need to do as far as our careers are concerned."

"What about our personal lives?" Nikki pouted. "Mines a wreck, obviously. But yours doesn't need to be."

"Just trust me," Seth stuck his hand out, ready to shake his partner's hand. "This is going to be worth it."

Nikki shook his hand, feeling a little more confident.

"Now, let's skip over the work stuff. I'm wondering about how you were able to grow Birdiebee so quickly. Some styles sell out overnight," Seth turned to face Nikki in his chair, and she smiled in response.

Neither one of them knew that they were being watched, and the person was very interested in the late-night conversation between these two. Nikki reached over to touch Seth's forearm. Out of comfort? Couldn't tell. But this appeared to be just a little bit more than a business call.

* * *

 _ **Earlier that day, at WrestleMania Axxess**_

"Hey, Seth, I'm glad I was able to catch up to you. Kind of surprised you and Finn were able to make it out of your autograph signing alive," Hunter chuckled. Seth laughed in response.

"Honestly, I don't know if Finn did. Haven't seen him in a while," he faked nervousness, and Hunter clapped him on the shoulder, appreciating the humor.

"You don't have anything scheduled until tomorrow, correct?" Hunter asked, getting straight to business.

Seth thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think you're right. Only one thing down at the Riverview Mall tomorrow, then the Hall of Fame ceremony," he replied, uncertain if he actually missed something on the itinerary. Normally, his Mania weekend was much more packed. But then again, he wasn't wrestling in a match this year. After tweaking his knee once again, the trainers thought it'd be best for Seth to rest up. Sadly, that meant no wrestling for him.

He was, however, thankful that he wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines completely. A few years ago was really hard on him, watching his friends perform while he watched from the back on crutches.

"Good, good," Triple H replied, swaying him off from his train of thought.

"Why do you ask? Got something planned?"

"Funny you ask. I just got a final approval from Vince on the storyline for Sunday. He's rejected about eight ideas, but this time, we've got one."

"That's great news! Can I see it?"

"I don't have it with me, but you can expect to see it come through to your company e-mail in the next few hours. I do, however, have something else for you."

"That's great," Seth replied, glad he wasn't going to be left in the dark until last-minute. He was frustrated; the last thing he wanted was to get fed some lines just hours before the show and make a laughingstock of the whole situation. If the wedding didn't go well, it could fuck up everything he'd worked so hard for. He'd put a ton of faith in this just because John was part of the equation.

And, although he didn't like Cena, he sure as hell respected him. Everyone did, and that was why Vince had rejected so many possible scripts.

"So Nikki Bella and a few of the other SmackDown Live ladies are in a Q & A right now. As expected, a lot of the fan questions are being directed at Nikki and her wedding."

"So..." Seth drawled. The last thing he wanted was to hear Nikki swoon over Cena for the next half hour.

"So, you're going to go in there and ask her if she's really happy. Vince agreed that with this, we need to continually make our fans wonder if what they're seeing is real or scripted. So, I'd like you to go in without any lines at all."

"What do you mean, without lines?" Seth gave his boss a nervous glance.

"You know exactly what I mean. Like old times. Pretend she's the woman you love more than anyone in the world, and you are trying to stop her from marrying someone who isn't right for her. What would you say?" Hunter encouraged him to think on it for a moment.

"Like...like a shoot?" Seth asked slowly. "I don't know, man...I don't know how Nikki will respond."

"She doesn't need to. Just don't give her room to talk, whatever you do. Make the fans wonder. Tell her how you feel about her relationship with Cena."

Seth thought about it, realizing that this wasn't an option, but a demand. "All right. When are we doing this thing?"

Triple H looked at his watch, extending an arm as if to guide him. "Right now, actually," he said something to someone in his earpiece, and one of the ballroom doors to the city center creaked open. Seth was waved in.

He was standing in the back of the room, and he glanced the panel of women until he locked eyes with Nikki. He noticed at her side, Brie looked curious, ready to turn and say something to her sister. But she didn't, thankfully. Nikki held his gaze, her bright eyes confused and suspicious. She was so captivating that Seth forgot for a moment what he was supposed to say to this stunning woman.

And while his eyes burned into Nicole's, Seth gave one of the most meaningful promos he'd ever given in his life. Maybe it was because he meant every word, and came straight from his heart.

 _But nobody,_ he swore to himself, _nobody can ever know that._


	8. Chapter 8

_**Why not? Thank you for all of the positive reviews! Yes, I realize that Becky and Seth announced their real-life relationship. But I don't care because I don't like Seth whatsoever, lol. But if I could pick someone for him to be with, it'd be Nikki.**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Weekend: Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony**_

"Okay, but I really, really want to be back to the hotel by 11," Sarah held herself up with one hand on the hotel room's desk, trying to slip into one of her black high heels. As usual, she looked absolutely lovely, and Seth was happy that she'd been able to make it for the next couple nights. Although he'd wished she'd been able to come much earlier, he was glad she'd missed out on the shoot from the prior day. So far, it hadn't been brought up. If it had, she might have questions about the authenticity.

"I mean, I'm not going to walk out on anyone during their big moment," Seth pointed out, maneuvering his tie expertly around his neck. He'd pulled his hair back in a tight, low bun, and his facial hair was cleaned up nicely. Unfortunately, it was unlikely any cameras would see him because he'd be with Sarah, which would break the kayfabe the WWE had tried to pull off.

"I know, but the last thing I want is to run into people I don't care to see," Sarah huffed, straightening the hip area of her tight dress one more time.

"Like who? You don't really know anyone," Seth cocked an eyebrow, wondering where this petty attitude was stemming from.

Sarah shrugged.

"Are you still acting like this because of my storyline with Nikki?" Seth squinted his eyes as he searched her face. "Because Nikki and I are friends. That's it. I'm doing this for my career, and so is she. It makes sense."

"Makes sense for who? Me? That someone who isn't me is going to be traveling with my guy? Pretending to be with him? Who knows, maybe eventually you two will fall for each other and realize that you want to be together after all. That kind of crazy stuff happens in this company all the time. I've seen it myself."

"Sarah," Seth pinched the bridge of his nose. He understood her frustrations, but at this point, it was too far in to back out. That, and he didn't really want to. After hanging with Nikki last night, he realized they actually have pretty decent chemistry. He could see them being excellent heels, much like Edge and Lita were back in the day. They were just naturally in tune with one another, and he was finally beginning to see the bright side.

"All I ask is that you trust me on this," he replied coolly.

"Trust you? Seth, come on. Your reputation is hard to trust. Every time a new pretty girl throws herself your way, you end up naked on social media."

Seth paused for a moment, shocked that Sarah would say something cruel like that. Up until now, she pretended to be unbothered by his past. She was the calm to all the chaos he'd endured prior, so this was all new...

His face must have given him away, because she gave a half-hearted apology. "I know that wasn't good of me to say," she winced a little. "I just don't want to lose you, and I feel like that part is coming."

"The only way you're going to lose me is if you push me," Seth replied. "Come on, now. Roman and his wife are probably waiting for us in the lobby already."

* * *

Once the two couples arrived at the Hall of Fame Ceremony, Sarah had found and linked up with Bayley on the makeshift "red carpet" to catch up a little. Bayley had made her feelings on Sarah known to Seth because they were friends, but Bayley was just such a nice girl in general that she would never make his girlfriend feel unwelcomed. Seth couldn't help but feel grateful for that, because he was still a bit hot under the collar from their spat just before.

"You guys doin' alright?" Roman asked Seth, crossing his arms as though he was a therapist ready to hear the worst.

"Why do you ask that?" Seth wondered.

"You aren't holding hands, and you barely are looking at each other."

"She's just upset over the storyline," Seth replied, hoping that would throw Reigns off his back. "She thinks that I did it to be selfish. Get a leg up in my career without thinking of all the possible outcomes. She doesn't see the potential pulling this off could have."

"She doesn't understand because she's not in the business," Roman stroked his goatee, in thought. "She is still pretty new to all of this. Give her time."

"I'm trying, and I'm trying my best to be thoughtful of her feelings and all that shit...but man, she brought up the Leighla and Zahra drama, and that...that's no good. That's just trying to stick me where it hurts."

Roman nodded. "She's jealous that you're working with another female. Basically, you could be working with Sonya Deville, and she'd still question the motives." Sonya, of course, was very open about her sexuality. However, she was currently dating Seth's ex-girlfriend, Zahra Schreiber.

Roman realized that Seth had just connected those dots, and he quickly apologized. "Sorry, brother. I know that's a sore spot for you, even still."

"It's all right. Nothing I can do to change things."

Seth watched as Roman's eyes wandered up and away, and he, too, turned to see that his "future wife" had just entered with her actual future husband. As always, all eyes were drawn to her. And she was half-heartedly guiding him through the people, barely touching fingertips with him. Naturally, she was bombarded with questions about her upcoming marriage. In fact, Charly Caruso had just tracked her down for a red carpet interview...

Seth saw something interesting in John's eyes while he watched Nikki explain that she wasn't nervous, that this is what she'd always wanted.

He saw absolutely nothing.

There was no adoration as John Cena watched Nikki talk about their wedding. He was empty, a shell of himself. He wasn't happy to be there, and had no interest in Nikki whatsoever. He might put on a good show for cameras, but Seth could see that whatever feelings he'd had for Nikki Bella once upon a time had diminished with time.

"Doesn't look like you and Sarah are the only ones on the rocks," Roman grumbled quietly, watching John hang around in the background like an extra on a television show. Roman didn't often speak about veteran Superstars in any sort of deprecating manner, but Seth knew that Roman wasn't a big fan of Cena, either. Cena and The Rock had some real beef a few years back, and Roman would never admit it while sober, but he'd always disliked John because of it.

"They sure do have an odd relationship," Seth commented quietly.

"Do you have eyes? They don't have a relationship at all," Roman shot back, keeping his voice low under his breath.

Bayley and Sarah came back around, Sarah in a much better mood. Bayley had that sort of charm, always lifting spirits. "I just met Goldberg," Sarah beamed. "I don't know a lot of people, but I recognize him!"

Seth laughed once. "Well, I'm glad you got the opportunity. Shall we head on in?" he held out an elbow for his lady, and she accepted it. The duo spun around, missing the look of panic on Bayley's face as they did so. They spun right into two beautiful, dark-haired women, each of them in form-fitting, black lace gowns.

Zahra smirked, her bright red lips making her skin look even more tan than it already was. Sonya gave Seth an awkward smile. She'd always been friendly enough towards him, but she probably felt just as awkward as he did.

"Seth, I'm glad you made it out this year. Wasn't sure if you'd be here, seeing as you don't have a role in WrestleMania," Zahra fluttered her eyelashes, keeping a straight face.

"I-" Seth started to say that he did indeed have a part this year, but he caught himself in time. Zahra was the type to run to dirt sheets and ruin it all.

"Thank you, Zahra. Always good to see you," Bayley jumped into the conversation, albeit a bit timidly.

"Hmm. Wish I could say the same. Kara, it's nice to finally put a face to the name. You're much prettier than I expected," Zahra gave a wicked little smile.

"Sarah. My name is Sarah," Sarah replied, somehow managing to keep her voice steady. Her nails were digging into Seth's forearms, so he knew she was getting frustrated. Her game face was pretty good, though. She was looking Zahra straight in the face, not averting her eyes at all.

"Right. I'm sorry, I don't really keep tabs on people like you," Zahra replied coolly. "Sonya, shall we head in?" Zahra cocked her head to the side, her girlfriend remaining quiet during the entire altercation.

Sonya agreed, shooting Seth an apologetic look. The two women went towards the bouncer, who were allowing only WWE personnel and their significant others into the building at this time.

Zahra stopped, mid-stride, turning back towards Seth. She looked like she had something to add to the conversation, but thought better of it as Sonya entwined her fingers, gently pulling her away from the scene.

"Time sure hasn't changed her a bit," Bayley said quietly, once they were out of earshot. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. She's just not a very nice person. I don't know how Sonya puts up with her."

 _I do_ , Seth wanted to say. It was the same reasons he'd put up with her for so long. She was manipulative as fuck, but she was also excellent in the bedroom. She wasn't afraid to show a little kink.

Sarah, on the other hand, was plain-Jane vanilla sex only. It was fine, but sometimes a little boring. She'd flipped her shit when he'd suggested buying a vibrator to help get her more aroused.

Of course, Seth didn't comment on Sonya and Zahra's relationship. Luckily, he didn't have to. Roman's wife did, though.

"She's just a jealous, callous bitch," Galina said, patting Sarah gently on the shoulder. "Upset that Seth found someone as good and pure as you are."

"It's true," Seth replied. "She likes to live life to the fullest, but that isn't always a good thing. It's caused a bit of trouble for her."

Sarah nodded, but didn't bother to speak to him again. Seth knew that she'd probably give him the silent treatment for the remainder of the evening.

And, as fate would have it, their assigned seats were right behind Nikki and John. Nikki turned around immediately, happily introducing herself to Sarah as if they were the best of friends.

"Seth's a great guy. I'm happy to be working with him," she smiled brightly, and it was obvious that she meant it.

"Thank you, I think he's really looking forward to it as well," Sarah was a bit more sullen.

"Really? Yay!" Nikki replied, looking over to Seth. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, too, Sarah."

Sarah coughed. "I'm sorry, I need to grab a glass of water. Can you tell me where the nearest restroom is?"

"I mean, it's near the back, but who wants to drink bathroom water? They'll bring around the drink menu in ten minutes or so," Nikki replied, concern crossing her face. Sarah felt stupid now, but also was amazed that this woman couldn't fathom drinking from a damned bathroom faucet. What a strange world this was.

And of course there would be drink menus sent around. She hadn't thought of that.

"Thanks. I'll be right back, I don't want to get up during anyone's speeches. Don't want to miss a thing!" Sarah excused herself, giving Seth a light squeeze on the shoulder as she left the aisle.

She followed the nearest path towards the back, nearly stepping on Renee Young's ridiculous train to her gown. She wasn't sure what was worse. Running into Seth's godawful ex-girlfriend that looked like she could hex her, or sitting behind Nikki Bella, the girl that would certainly be the one to drive a wedge between her and Seth for good.

She knew that Nikki meant well by introducing herself. She'd wanted to put Sarah at ease, to let her know she wasn't interested in Seth like that. But it was a matter of time, she knew. She couldn't even tell whether she liked Nikki or not. She seemed genuine while she spoke, but the bit about bathroom water really proved that Nikki was simply on a different level. And did she honestly think she could _ever_ compete with that?

Sighing, Sarah entered the restroom, her gown swishing behind her as she walked. She looked in the mirror, liking what she saw. Her makeup and hair was beautiful. She looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.

But what if that wasn't enough? And was this the kind of life she wanted for herself in the next five, even ten years? Roman's wife had taken on the role beautifully, but Sarah just didn't think she could do the same.

"Ah, Kara, we meet again," a cold, monotone voice said right beside her. Zahra stood next to her, applying a coat of mascara to her already black eyelashes.

"Did you follow me in here?" Sarah found herself asking. There was no way she had come to put on even more makeup than she already wore.

"Oh, relax, would you? I'm not going to do anything to you. I just wanted to chat."

"I can't imagine what you and I would have to talk about," Sarah said dully. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Fair enough, but what if it concerns your man?"

"Seth is no concern to you," Sarah growled, her eyes narrowing. "Neither is our relationship!"

Zahra smiled in response. "Feisty. I can see why he likes you. Tell me, what is his deal with Nikki Bella?"

At the name, Sarah froze. Naturally, Zahra caught on immediately.

"Ah, so there _is_ something going on there. I suspected so. I watched them get a bit flirty down at the bar last night."

"I'm sure they were talking about storyline stuff," Sarah stated weakly, feeling as though she'd just gotten punched in the gut.

"Hmm, I don't know about that," Zahra fished her sleek, black iPhone from her handbag, using a long black nail to tap on the screen. She'd gotten a very clear photo of Seth and another woman, although it wasn't a certain match to Nikki. The woman was turned towards him, leaning in and touching his forearm. Seth had a warm smile on his lips, as though the woman had just said something funny.

Sarah, meanwhile, felt like the joke was all on her.

"I'm only showing this to you because I don't want someone nice like you getting tossed out like garbage when a shiny new toy comes along," Zahra closed the photo, shoving the phone back in her bag. "I don't know what the fascination is with Nikki Bella, but I _know_ that look. He's given it to me plenty of times. Even if he doesn't want to admit it yet, he's into her. Eventually, you'll be an afterthought, and you'll disappear back into your hay stacks with your ponies."

"You're such a bitch," Sarah seethed, white hot anger boiling in the pit of her tummy.

"Maybe, but don't say you didn't have a fair warning. I wish that I'd gotten one. Consider yourself lucky," she blew Sarah a quick, bright-red kiss before exiting. "Glad we had this talk," she called behind her.

In an instant, Sarah's eyes were stinging with warm tears.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Why not? Thank you for all of the positive reviews!**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Weekend: Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, continued**_

"Sarah's been gone a really long time. Do you want me to see if she's okay? The ceremony is about to start," Nikki had turned to Seth, the noise around them so raucous that it was hard to hear her, even though she was damn close. Her eyes darted to the back restroom that Seth's girlfriend had supposedly gone off to.

Seth thought for a moment, trying to decipher if that was actually a good idea. On one hand, Sarah didn't particularly seem to like Nikki. But on the other, it wasn't like he could just waltz into the women's restroom.

"Oh, damn," Nikki's eyes narrowed as Zahra came strolling down the narrow path, a satisfied smirk on her lips. Nikki wasn't always the brightest, but she could put two and two together. Zahra had made a point to corner Sarah while she was most vulnerable.

"Oh, damn, is right," Seth responded through grit teeth. He stood up at once, ready to call out to his ex-girlfriend.

"Seth, relax. I've got it," Nikki said, her voice smooth. She stood up, excused herself from John (who didn't seem to care anyways), and marched straight towards Zahra. Zahra raised her eyebrows, though not in surprise. More like in vain, as though she knew exactly why Nikki Bella would approach her. But she was pretending she didn't have a clue.

Nikki held the woman's gaze for a moment.

"Can I help you with something?" Zahra asked, her tone flat.

"Actually, you can."

Zahra smiled fully. "Well, to be honest, you're definitely my type. But Sonya is playing the part just fine, so you'll have to get in line," Zahra gave a tiny wink. Nikki considered punching her straight in her mouth, but thought better of it. She didn't want to resort to violence in front of so many Hall of Fame Superstars. It was too disrespectful. That, and she really didn't want to wreck her gown by getting into a catfight with this bitch.

"That's flattering," Nikki ran her tongue along her teeth, tilting her head. "But you're not mine. You're such a beautiful girl, Zahra, but you have such a dark soul. Does that really make you feel better, bringing down other women? Trying to force yourself between your ex's current girlfriend and your ex?"

Zahra shook her head. "Ha. Shows how much you know, Nicole. I'm not the one in between the two of them. You'll see." With that, Zahra shoved passed Nikki, nearly knocking her off balance. It turned a few heads, and even her sworn enemy, Maryse, had a shocked expression as Zahra walked by.

"Bitch," Nikki muttered under her breath, making her way to the restroom.

She walked in, noting the giant flower arrangements near the sinks. But there was nobody in the restroom.

"Sarah?" she called out, looking towards the stalls that lined the opposite side of the sinks. "Are you in here?"

Nobody responded. Her designer heels clicked against the tiled floor as she walked past each stall. However, they were all unoccupied.

Had she missed Sarah come out of the restroom during her altercation with Zahra? She didn't think she could have. Turning promptly, she headed back out. They were getting ready to introduce Jerry Lawler, the host for the night. She hurried as fast as her heels could carry her back to her seat, knowing that the cameras would be rolling shortly. She'd hoped that Sarah was seated next to Seth, but when she returned back towards the front where John was, Seth was still alone.

"She didn't come back?" Nikki asked, lightly touching Seth's arm to get his attention. Seth turned sharply, concern in his eyes.

"She didn't. Are you sure she wasn't back there?" he asked, his tone hushed.

"No, totally empty. Whatever the Queen of Bitches said to her, definitely shook her. Check your phone," Nikki whispered back, the lights beginning to dim. The camera panned the audience, and it stopped right in front of Nikki and John. They both smiled pretty for the camera, just like they always did. John gave a silly smile while Nikki beamed, waving at the camera.

The camera moved on, and Nikki let out a breath. She absently wondered why John didn't lean in for a kiss for the cam. After all, everyone watching live thought they were to be married tomorrow. John was always one to cater to the fans, even if he didn't really want to or didn't feel into it. It was a little odd. But then, she shouldn't be surprised. After the long, emotional conversation they'd had earlier in the evening, she was a bit surprised he even showed up to this event with her at all.

The camera panned to AJ Styles, Chara, JoJo, and Bray Wyatt. JoJo and Bray gave a kiss for the camera, and some fans that were in attendance hollered over that. Perhaps, Nikki thought, a little too loudly. She made a grab for John's hand, but he didn't really acknowledge her. He gave her a clammy hand in response, squeezing hers gently, before letting it go. Disappointed, Nikki tucked her hands under her legs to keep from biting her manicured nails.

* * *

Seth checked his phone a few times throughout the course of the evening, the blueish glow from his screen illuminating those around him. Once in awhile, Reby Hardy scoffed at him for pulling out his phone during the speeches. He didn't care about her opinion, though, and ignored her completely. Sarah hadn't texted him at all, nor had she returned. He was certain that she'd left for the hotel, having been scared off by Zahra. Even still, it was unlike her to ditch out on something that was important to him.

The night was growing to a close, with Bill Goldberg's speech the final of the evening. A lot of folks had already left, as it was growing late. A few of the induction speeches had gone on far too long. And while Seth didn't mind because he loved and adored every single person being inducted this year, he admittedly understood. Roman and Galina had left about an hour ago, probably because it had gotten far too late to expect a sitter to stay with their children. Reby and Matt Hardy had left (thankfully), and Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan had exited during Hillbilly Jim's speech.

Because he had nobody to glare at him, he quickly texted Sarah as Goldberg made his way to the stage.

 _ **I'm sorry if something upset you. Why didn't you come back? Where are you?**_

The response was instantaneous.

 _ **I'm at the airport, headed home. I'll call when I get there.**_

 _Fuck,_ Seth cursed himself. He should have texted her much earlier. Maybe she'd have changed her mind.

 _ **That really would have been nice to know.**_

This time, there was no response. He checked his phone a few more times through Bill's short speech, but Sarah hadn't replied. He thought about checking the times of flights, to see if she'd left yet. But maybe that was getting a little bit too overbearing. If she didn't want to be part of this year's 'Mania, well, he couldn't force her to be.

After the ceremony was over and the cameras had dissipated, Seth stopped Nikki for a moment. Nikki was visibly upset, though still smiling through it. John had kissed her hand, leaving her until tomorrow's show.

"Sarah went home," Seth muttered, shifting his weight. "I don't know what Zahra said to her, but it upset her enough to hop on a plane. I hate to say it, but I think that this is it for us," he sighed a bit dramatically, but he couldn't help but feel broken. Why was his past always throwing him off course? And why couldn't he just cut ties with Zahra for good?

"I'm sorry, Seth," Nikki apologized empathetically. "I know how much it meant to you to have her with you this weekend. Right when your career is about to get a little nudge."

Seth sighed. "I know it's awfully late, but do you want to get something to drink at the bar? I think Dean and Renee were going to head down there after the ceremony."

Nikki smiled. "Actually, that'd be great. John wanted to get to bed right away, and I could use a glass of wine. I'm just so...tired," she sighed.

"Oh," he bit his lip. "I mean, if you're tired, you should get back to the hotel."

"No, no. I mean emotionally tired. This is really taking a lot out of me," Nikki replied.

"Well, care to tell me more over that glass of wine?" he asked hopefully. Seth was ready for bed, honestly, but there was no way he'd be able to sleep while worrying about Sarah and whether or not he'd be coming home to an empty house next week. He needed the distraction.

"Of course. Give me a few minutes, and I'll meet you there. I'm supposed to meet Trish and Amy for a few pictures, and I'll be down there."

Seth made his way to the bar, happily surprised to see that there were quite a few of his co-workers there already. Luckily, there were plenty of security guards around. It didn't appear that fans were allowed in, and there were velvet ropes indicating that at the entrance. The bald guy working the front of the bar didn't even question him when he allowed him to enter, which made Seth feel a little better. Even though he wasn't Champion right now, he was still relevant enough to be recognized. He still mattered.

Making his way up to the gleaming wood of the bar, he sat near Nattie, Tyson Kidd, Carmella, and Alicia Fox. At the complete opposite end of the bar was JoJo, Bray Wyatt, and Chara. He wondered if AJ Styles was around.

"I heard they broke up before the ceremony," Carmella was whispering. "Like, for good."

"Who told you that?" Alicia Fox wondered, much louder than the blonde.

"It's not like it's a surprise," Natalya responded, taking a sip of her drink. "Things have been obviously on the down for a while."

Seth couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about him. It wasn't a secret to the locker room that his relationship was starting to crumble. He continued to listen in, all the while scanning for Dean and Renee.

"What a fucking let down that would be to all the fans," Alicia carried on. "Seriously, I wish them the best."

"Why would you?" Carmella wondered. "They clearly only got together because of the money, and they're faking a break up because of the money. What kind of relationship is that?"

Now, Seth's ears perked up. He knew exactly who these women were talking about. And it wasn't about him.

"Maybe, but you don't know John and Nicole like we do," Nattie stated. "Yeah, it looks a little sketchy. But both of those guys have so much love to give, I don't think the whole thing was fake. But I do think that they fell out of love because of the expectations. They were together because at the time, it made sense. But now that Brie has surpassed Nikki so much in her personal life, she's feeling it."

"Nikki always has been competitive like that," Tyson Kidd interjected. Alicia laughed once over her fizzy, bubbly drink. She started to reply, but her eyes shot to the entrance. Seth knew that Nikki had entered the bar, because the gossip had ended just as quickly as it began.

Nikki breezed in, Renee Young at her side. Renee was always radiant, and how she kept up with Dean, Seth would never know. But she always did, and she even managed to slow Dean down a bit in life. Renee had been a shining star, completely putting Dean back on the right roads. Seth couldn't praise the pretty blonde enough for her role, and he envied the relationship.

"Hey, Seth!" Renee chirped, her bleached hair bouncing with each step. "Dean will come down in a few. He stopped to talk to Jimmy Jacobs about his match. Don't know how Jimmy's going to help any, he's already on Vince's shit list," Renee said the last bit very quietly so that only Seth could hear. Unfortunately, you never knew who you could trust if you said something negative about the Chairman. Alicia Fox was one of those that liked to run to him if someone said something, likely because it saved her job for the better part of her career.

"No problem," Seth got up, pulling out two barstools for the two women. "Can I get you lovely ladies anything while we await the Lunatic?"

Renee laughed. "I'll just have a vodka and tonic," she told the circling bartender. "And if you've got any lemon?"

"A glass of chardonnay," Nikki gave the bartender a warm smile. But the crinkle in her eyes showed Seth that there was something looming on her mind, and she wasn't as happy as she was showing the world.

He supposed that she'd mastered that, having been with John for so long.

"No Jack and Coke?" Seth narrowed his eyes to the twin, a slow smile creeping up on him. "Here I thought we had something in common."

"Maybe next round," Nikki replied playfully. "I'll start with something simple."

"Somehow, I don't think anything about you is simple, Nikki," Seth joked. Nikki rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

 _Be careful with that thing, Nikki_ , Seth thought, suddenly allowing his mind to wander to what else she could do with that tongue. He shook that thought immediately, though, reminding himself that she was just as taken as he was. He'd never find out.

"A Jack and Coke for me, then," Seth ordered. "I'll get the drinks this round," he told the man, holding out a crisp bill.

The three sat and joked for a while, recalling bits of the Ceremony. The conversation swiftly shifted focus with the entrance of Dean Ambrose, disheveled and certainly frustrated with the conversation he'd had with WWE writer, Jimmy Jacobs. Jimmy was formerly a well-respected indie wrestler, and had actually aided in a lot of angles between Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and AJ Styles. He had some fantastic ideas, and a lot of people hoped to work with him. Dean was one of them.

"Another year of bullshit," Dean grumped, sliding next to Renee. He kissed the nape of her neck, which she shuddered in response. "Not in front of everyone, babe," she scolded her husband. But she looped her free hand around his waist anyways, giving him a loose hug before he sat into the final vacant chair at the bar.

"Seriously, though, if this shit doesn't get any better, I'mma be taking my ass to a different company," he murmured. "I know that WWE wants to make things family friendly or whatever, but the gimmicky shit...I'm just over it, y'know?"

"I understand, love," Renee agreed. "But, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's just enjoy the company we've got and be happy for the moment. Tomorrow is going to be great, and so are you," she called over the bartender, and Dean promptly ordered himself a tall glass of beer.

"Ready for that Jack and Coke yet?" Seth slyly asked Nikki, who had been a bit quiet for the last ten minutes or so. She tensed, realizing that he'd been talking to her, then relaxed quickly. "I guess so," she said, pushing her now empty stemware away from her. The bartender nodded once, getting a short glass ready in a hurry.

"Breaking out the big guns, huh?" Renee teased. "Going to get all 'Brie Mode' on us without the 'Brie'?"

"It's been a rough night," Nikki breathed. "I'd tell you about it, but since the men are here, maybe I shouldn't. They don't need to hear my whining."

"Cheers to that," Dean toasted nobody, holding his drink in the air. Renee smacked him on the shoulder. "Ignore him," she rolled her eyes. "What's going on?"

Nikki looked towards Seth, trying not to look him in the eyes. He wondered why she was avoiding the eye contact.

"I just..." she started, then stopped, nervously biting her lip. "Nevermind."

"Really, it's okay," Renee pleaded with her friend. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll send the guys over to talk to Sheamus and Cesaro."

Nikki took a deep sigh, closing her eyes. "We've decided that this isn't...isn't going to work, John and I," she said really quietly, ensuring that only Renee could hear her.

"What? What was that?" Dean loudly asked. A few curious eyeballs shot towards them, and Nikki sat up straight, taking a drink like she had no idea what Dean was ranting about.

"She said go see what Sheamus is up to," Renee said to her husband curtly. "This is official girl business."

Dean swore once, but listened anyways. He stood up, beer in hand, heading over to Sheamus and Cesaro, in a heated conversation. Big Show towered over them, his arms crossed, but was laughing.

"Sorry 'bout him," Renee apologized. She shot a glance towards Seth.

"I want to stay," he said to her, and she raised an eyebrow to Nikki, as though asking permission to allow the conversation to continue.

"I don't want to burden you. I know things have been kind of off with you and Sarah-"

"Wait, what? They have? I saw you guys come to the Ceremony, she did a lap with Bayley...all seemed fine!" Renee couldn't mask the surprise.

"That's a whole other story," Seth told her. "We'll get to that. What's on your mind?" he shot back towards Nikki, who once again, seemed to have checked out of the conversation.

"Before the Ceremony tonight, John and I had a pretty serious discussion. I have been pretty upset that he's pushed back our wedding, and I told him so. He reminded me that I agreed to it. And that's true, of course. It's just really hard, and this really sucks..." she quickly brushed a stray tear away. "Sorry, I don't mean to lay it all on you guys like this."

"Oh, baby girl, it's okay," Renee gave Nikki's hand a quick squeeze. "Why the sudden change of plans? Pushing back a wedding isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"I just realized that I was giving up too much of myself. The things that I want and need. I always told myself that I'd compromise for John. I've always been the one compromising, though. And the more time I spend with Brie and Birdie, the more I realize that motherhood and a real family life is something that I'm not willing to give up on. John doesn't want the same things that I do, and neither of us is happy."

"So what about your _Total Bellas_ storyline?" Renee asked, keeping her head low so that Carmella or Alicia Fox didn't catch a bit of their conversation. "Not a storyline anymore?"

"No, not really," Nikki replied sullenly. "I'm sure people are going to drag me through the muck, and there will be plenty of people who will say it's all a work. And it was supposed to be, after our WrestleMania wedding," she acknowledged Seth for the first time since speaking on the topic, giving him a sad smile. "But it's not a work. Our failed relationship will be announced on Monday. We've already talked to our Public Relations people on it. Until then, we're just faking it."

"You know, Roman actually pointed out that you guys were off course tonight," Seth said finally, a long drawn-out pause lingering in the air. "I though maybe he was just trying to butt in. But now I can see that he was right."

"As for the fans," Seth continued, "Even if it looks like a work for a while, they'll see eventually that it isn't. It's too bad that it coincides with this new story, but that's just the way it is. It's shitty, but that's nothing that you can control."

Renee nodded in agreement. "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Refocus on your career, and the rest will fall into place. Nobody should make you feel like you're not important. Not even John Cena."

Nikki gave a weak laugh, brushing more stray tears from her cheeks. "I'm heartbroken," she told her friend. "Yet, somehow, I knew this was it. We've been pretending for the cameras for so long now, and I just hoped that I was wrong about that."

"How did you manage to get through the night?" Renee asked. "Seriously, Nic, you've got some serious balls."

Nikki laughed. "I told you, we've been pretending for so long, that it feels right."

Seth watched her carefully, the pieces all falling into place. From the beautiful Bella Twin's entrance that night barely touching her "fiancé" as they walked through the hoards of people, to John's hollow eyes as she spoke on their wedding to Charly Caruso. From Roman noticing that John was all kinds of weird that night to Carmella, Alicia, and Nattie talking about them. It all made sense: Nikki and John had ended their relationship. Quietly stepping away from one another, with the illusion that it was all going to be a "work", as the internet would call it.

 _Yet,_ Seth realized, _Nikki had made a point to go look for Sarah after realizing that Zahra had dug her claws into her unsuspecting flesh. She was more worried about Seth's relationship than she was about faking her own for another night._

With a grateful heart, Seth ordered himself another drink.

In another life, he would have made Nikki his girl a long, long time ago. But in this one, his on-screen girl would have to be good enough.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Why not? Thank you for all of the positive reviews!**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Weekend, continued**_

"And then I told Brie that maybe if she had picked up a book in high school like, _ever_ , she'd know that _To Kill a Mockingbird_ has absolutely nothing to do with animals," Nikki's laughter tinkled through the bar, which only had a few stragglers here and there.

"I can't believe she thought that it did!" Renee was nearly in tears with laughter. "And to petition not reading it due to animal rights!" the women both laughed happily, Dean and Seth stifling their own laughter. Nikki's mood has lifted quite a bit since she came down to the bar, and it was really great to see that she was...happy. Seth thought she seemed much less uptight. And as much as he didn't want to say it, dropping the dead weight of John Cena was probably going to do some great things for her emotional self.

But all thoughts of Nikki aside, it was getting late. Seth hadn't heard anything from Sarah, but he had been exchanging texts back and forth with a really good friend of his. As much as he hated himself for thinking about it, he'd invited her to stop over at his room under the guise of giving her some Tylenol, which she'd forgotten to pack. But he could use the other type of attention, which had been hinted at throughout the text exchanges. And, ass badly as he wanted to invite Nikki back to his room, he knew better. She was still broken, and that wasn't fair. That, and he knew better than to mix up his feelings with storyline. It was almost guaranteeing that things would end up under fire.

"Anyways," Nikki smiled once again, placing her empty glass back down on the bar. "I bet it's time to turn in for all of us. We've got a lot of things to do tomorrow, so it's best we get some rest." Seth turned to look at her, somehow amazed that she'd read his mind. Careful not to step on her dress, she stood up, and Renee followed suit. The two women hugged, and Nikki inaudibly said something to her, which Renee hugged her friend a bit tighter.

Seth stood up, too, giving the two women a small smirk.

"Hopefully we can hang out soon," Nikki kissed his cheek lightly, stepping back to look at him. "Thank you for being here for me tonight. You'll be an excellent on-screen boyfriend."

"You'll be the most beautiful on-screen girl I've ever had," Seth reciprocated, placing his hand on her bare shoulder. Her skin was impossibly soft against his calloused fingers, and his heart leapt just a tad.

"Hopefully the _only_ on-screen girl," Nikki responded. "I'll see you tomorrow, my loves," she gave them all a little wave before turning away, heading towards the nearest exit.

"Bro," Dean shook his head once she'd officially left the three of them behind, "I can't believe you didn't take that opening."

Renee elbowed Dean playfully. "That was _not_ an opening," she shook her head.

"Hopefully we can hang out soon, _Sethie_ ," Dean cooed, his voice mimicking Nikki's. "Come jump into my bed, _Sethie_ , show me what an Architect can really do!"

"Oh, fuck off," Seth said, but he started laughing along. "She's only just broken up with...well, you know. And me and Sarah...well. I just don't think that's a great idea."

"Seth's right, hon," Renee replied knowingly. "As much as I want everyone to end up happy, some things are only meant to be on-screen. Maybe a relationship between Nicole and Seth is one of them."

"All right, but I hope you go back to your room kicking yourself," Dean replied dully. "I'll see you around tomorrow, okay? Good luck."

Renee weaved her fingers between Dean's as she pulled him towards the exit. She called out a hearty goodbye to Seth, giving him a small wave before they went to their own room for the night.

Seth counted to ten before he followed them out, hoping he'd given enough distance so that he'd have to wait for the elevator to come back down. He didn't see anyone, and the entire lobby was completely vacant. He pushed the "up" button on the elevator, patiently waiting for the cart to return to the main floor he was currently on.

Once he got up to the seventh floor, he saw the woman waiting for him by the vending area. She had her gray hoodie pulled up over her hair, but it didn't do well to mask the orangeish color of it.

"Seth," she chirped quietly, aware that there could be anyone in the company, current or not, listening through their doors right now.

"Bex," he smiled. "Come on in," he motioned towards his hotel room door, the familiar tug of his jeans reminding him that he was about to sleep with a beautiful girl. Was it right? No. But what happened during WrestleMania weekend stayed there, and he'd heard tons of crazy stories about his colleagues hooking up with some of the former Divas. He knew more about Rosa Mendes than he ever wanted to, and he knew that Paige could swing either way...

Becky Lynch's lips crashed into Seth's, the door creaking open as he slid his key card in. She pushed him backwards into the darkened room, their lips never leaving each other's. Seth closed the door behind him as quietly as he could so he didn't wake his neighbors. In a swift motion, he pulled the zipper of Becky's sweatshirt, revealing a black sports bra. She took Seth's shirt off, tossing it on to the floor as they frantically made their way to the bed.

He'd always found Becky attractive, but had only really seen her as a good friend. She had an awesome taste in music, and she was fun to be on the road with. She may not have been Nikki Bella, but tonight he had a heavy heart and would be more than happy to break some of his own rules.

But while those thoughts were going through his head, and as Becky was starting to grab at his jeans, a light in the corner of the room turned on. He abruptly stopped what he was doing, panic striking him.

"Well, that's not really the entrance I was expecting," Sarah sat at the desk, wearing a silk nightgown and drinking a bottle of wine. Her bags were all packed around her, and she was clearly ready to leave.

"I..." Seth started, trying hard to come up with a good story. But the truth was, he was busted, red-handed. In his defense, he'd thought Sarah left. And if she'd left, that meant she was leaving him, too...

"I should go," Becky Lynch said, her accent thick. She picked up her sweatshirt that had been thrown carelessly to the floor, hastily zipping it before making her way back towards the door.

"Yeah, maybe you should," Sarah shot back, her eyes darkening towards the former Women's Champion. "Not the woman I expected to see you with, either, to be honest," she said. "But then, you've always had trouble keeping your pants on, haven't you Seth?"

"What did Zahra say to you? You're never vindictive like this," Seth tried to reason. "When you said you were going home, I...I thought..."

"Thought what? That I'd never find out that you were sleeping around with your co-workers? Here I'd thought for sure that Nikki was the one I ought to worry about. Instead, it's some irrelevant chick with a bad dye job. Seriously, even hooking up with Zahra would have made more sense than this. Just proves the point that you don't care who you're sleeping with, as long as it's with someone, no matter who you hurt."

"Sarah, that's not true. I thought you left. I thought you left me," he weakly reasoned, and she rolled her eyes.

"I was planning on leaving, except that when I got to the airport, there were no flights leaving until the morning. So yes, I bought my ticket, but had no choice but to come back here. Imagine my surprise to see that you weren't here. I figured you might be with your friends, which is fine...but my, how quickly you run to another girl. Maybe Zahra was right about you."

"Zahra doesn't even know me!" Seth yelled, surprised by his own voice.

"Doesn't she? You guys are two peas in a pod," Sarah sighed, crossing her fingers to symbolize how 'close' they were. "All about your ego, the both of you."

Seth chose to ignore that comment. Sure, he'd had some rough times staying loyal and he hadn't always been the most selfless, but it still burned him just a bit to hear Sarah compare him to Zahra.

"Sarah, I loved you. I love you now, and only you."

Sarah laughed, tears beginning to form in the wells of her eyes. "I loved you, too. But Seth, this is the end of our journey together. We have chosen to take different paths in life, and I'm sorry for that. But tonight's events, leading up to right now...it's just proof that it's time we say goodbye to each other."

"We don't have to be over yet," Seth felt like he was clawing for something to hold on to. But Sarah shook her head.

"We _do_ need to. This isn't going to work. And now I can see, clearly, you aren't as devoted to this as I thought you were. Let's be honest...we've had far many more problems stemming than this. This is just the nail in our coffin."

"Sarah, you've been the motivation for everything I've done!" Seth couldn't help but hide his frustration. If he was relevant once again, the amount of money he'd be bringing home would double nearly overnight. Then he could gift her an addition to her stables, which Sarah had been talking about for six months.

Sarah sighed, twirling her long, dark hair through her fingers. "Seth, I love you so much that I'm willing to let you go. So, let's be honest with each other. I could not care less about Black and Brave, and you are definitely not meant to help me out at the stables. Our interests have developed differently through our time together. Why keep pretending? We simply do not have the same goals anymore. It's time to stop lying to ourselves."

Seth sat down on the corner of the bed, raking his hand through his fluffy brown hair. Sure, things with Sarah hadn't been excellent, but he still hated things ending this way.

"Are you sure this is really what you want?" he asked quietly, hoping not to tear up at all. He hated to cry, and did so very seldom.

Sarah nodded, but did not respond. "I'm just not meant for this type of world," she said quietly after a long silence. "I really do wish you the best. If anyone deserves it, it's you."

Seth took her hand in his, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry," he said back. "If you'd like, I can take you to the airport in the morning."

"Truly, I would prefer you didn't. It would make it sting even more than it already does."

Seth understood, disappointed in himself for allowing things to crumble so quickly. For allowing Becky to come to his room. For not seeing the warning signs...or perhaps just choosing not to. For his past. For Zahra. For inserting himself into a storyline with Nikki fuckin' Bella. His heart ached for himself, and his lost relationship.

"I'm sorry," he repeated himself, numb.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Why not? Thank you for all of the positive reviews!**_

* * *

 _ **WrestleMania Day**_

"Brie, are you seeing this? This is _amazing_!" Nikki sighed, her pretty red lips forming a smile. They stood at the top of the stage, and it felt like the ramp was a mile long to the ring.

"Yeah, well, you're not the one that needs to walk this thing in a wedding dress later," Brie grumped back, huffing a little.

Nikki's demeanor changed quickly, frowning. "I'll _never_ be in a wedding dress," she mumbled, trying to contain her emotion.

Brie quickly shifted focus to her sister. "That's not true. First of all, there is definitely still hope for you and John. I know you say you've called it quits, but who knows? One day, you might end up together after you split for a while. Second of all, even if you and John aren't meant to be, I can't think of a single person who wouldn't want to be with you. You're amazing, and you know that."

Nikki gave a small nod. "I am pretty amazing. But I couldn't have gotten this far without my best friend," she gave her sister a side hug, the empty arena calm before the chaos in the near future.

"Oh, stop it Nicole," Brie laughed. "We better get our asses down to the ring, or we're going to be late." They slowly made their way down to the ring, where Chara Wright was screwing around with Asuka and Becky Lynch. Becky looked weary, and Nikki took note of it immediately. That wasn't like her; Becky generally had passion every time she was in the ring. Today, she looked kind of under the weather.

 _Bad timing for that!_

"You good, Beck?" Nikki raised an eyebrow, and Becky gave a weak smile.

"As good as I can be," she replied, her accent thick. Yet, she would not look Nikki in the eye.

"Wanna talk about it?" Brie piped up. Becky quickly shook her head, dismissing them completely. "I'd really better not," she said, albeit a bit hostile. This was unusual for the normally cheerful redhead.

"Well, do us all a favor and put a smile on, even if it's fake," Brie said quietly but harshly. Becky sighed, mocking her with an overly expressive smile, showing all of her teeth.

"Thank you," Brie replied. "I didn't intend for it to come out like I was being a bitch. I just..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Becky replied, clearly annoyed. Renee Young, Mickie James, and Natalya had joined the women in the ring, Renee as shiny as she ever could be in a ridiculous bejeweled jacket.

"What?" she asked when she noticed Nikki eyeing her up. "I have to dress for the occasion."

The sound people were messing around with different entrance music, testing microphones and lighting to the stage. Chara was busy with Natalya now, who was directing her away from the stage and looking out to the empty crowd.

"See, the key is to make eye contact with the fans," she was saying. "That way, you can't see who is coming up behind you."

Chara halted herself against the ropes, a questioning look in her eyes. "Why don't I want to see who is coming up behind me?"

And as if on cue, and Nikki supposed it may very well have been, AJ Styles' entrance music began to play. Her heart leapt for the exciting moment, so happy that she could share it with some of her best friends.

AJ, Finn Balor, Gallows and Anderson, and even Dean Ambrose lurked around AJ as he stood at the top of the stage. He wore a simple pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt, his hair pulled back into a tight man-bun but tucked it under his baseball cap. He held a microphone in his hand, tapping the top of it to sound-check.

"Look at what we've got here, boys, a little scrimmage match," he smiled, and the girls all groaned. The women definitely outnumbered the men, but Nikki and Brie were in heels and skirts, not ring gear.

The men made their way down, but only AJ went to the center of it. As predicted, Chara was so focused on her man that she ignored everyone around her, and all of the women had made their way outside of the ring as well. Now, only AJ Styles and Chara stood in the middle of the 'Mania ring.

AJ put the microphone down, knowing that he wasn't actually going to need it. His eyes locked in on Chara's, and he stroked her messy blonde hair as she tried to catch her breath, her mini session with Asuka and Nattie presumably tiring for her.

"God, I have so much to say, and I should have written it down," AJ was a little jittery, which was extremely unusual for him. But he went on with his words, regardless:

"Chara, I can't believe how far you've come. How far _we've_ come. From TNA to WrestleMania. From getting caught up in the past, to slowly working into a storyline together in front of the whole world. I remember I used to be hard on you when we'd train together, and I always pushed you. Because I saw the spirit that you had for the business. It was the very same that kept me going. From a dingy old gymnasium to this"-he used his hand to gesture the huge but mostly empty stadium-"You've always had the potential to be phenomenal."

Chara laughed at the horrible pun, and AJ took her hands in his. "Every big moment together has been in or around the ring, and that's why this needs to be done here, too..." AJ trailed off as he got down on one knee. Chara was literally shaking, asking what was going on but knowing full-well what was happening.

"I want you to be the future for this business, and I want you to be my future. So, Chara Wright...will you marry me?" he presented a ring to her, the glimmer noticeable.

Nikki was crying like a baby without even realizing she'd started. Somewhere during the moment, Brie had grabbed her hand, and her fingernails were pressed into Nikki's palm. Of course she knew this beautiful moment was going to happen, because AJ had called some of their dearest friends early that morning to be there. Still, it was heartwarming and the whole moment made her forget how shitty her own life was at the moment.

That was precisely why she'd chosen to come down to the ring. Although not many folks knew that she and John had broken things off, she couldn't sit there and wallow in her own sorrow. Instead, she thought surrounding herself with some of the greatest men and women she knew would be the best way to combat the blues.

"Oh, AJ...I...I never thought..." Chara stammered, her tears mixing with her sweat. "I probably look like a mess...but yes, of course. Yes!"

"No, baby, you're beautiful," AJ replied, popping up as he enveloped her into a huge hug. He whispered something into her hair, his face bright. The men came into the ring first, followed by the ladies, who offered their congratulations.

Once the commotion had sizzled down a little bit, Natalya asked permission to post the entire moment to her Instagram story, which she'd apparently recorded. Chara hesitated, but agreed. Chara usually kept a great job keeping her WWE Sister Abigail gimmick as tightly kayfabe as possible, and rarely offered glimpses of the real girl behind the freaky-deaky stuff. But, Nikki supposed, when it came to something like this, she was willing to let her guard down for her fans.

"You know what they say," Nikki said to the newly engaged couple. "Whatever happens at WrestleMania..."

"You can count on Nattie for documentation!" Natalya laughed back, the mood still energetic.

The makeshift party lasted for about ten more minutes before each person decided that they ought to start getting ready. Some had promos to shoot, some had hair and makeup, and Brie had her final wedding dress fitting.

Yes, _Brie_.

* * *

 _ **One hour before the show**_

"You look just as beautiful as your own wedding, sis," Nikki finished lacing up the back of Brie's gown. It was definitely more her own taste than Brie's romantic, hippie vibe, but it didn't matter. For probably the final time of their career, a little Twin Magic was going to happen.

"I feel like my boobs are going to fall out," Brie adjusted herself again, the extra padding making her boobs look huge.

"Bryan is going to die when he sees you," Nikki spun her around, admiring the way the white lace and jeweled bodice clung against Brie's sunkissed skin. She felt a small pang of jealousy, the entire thing a reminder of what she wasn't going to have.

 _Chin up, buttercup,_ Nikki reminded herself. Even though she wasn't going to be on the fast-track down the aisle, she was being highlighted as a focal point of the WWE as well as building her brand.

Daniel Bryan walked in, wearing his normal flannel shirt and tan pants. He looked once at Nikki, then once at his wife, then back at Nikki.

"You guys did pretty good," he replied, acknowledging how closely Brie had matched her makeup to what Nikki would normally wear. "You're a little lopsided on the right, though," he motioned towards Brie's padding, smirking.

"You _did pretty good_? That's seriously all you have to say?" Nikki folded her arms across her chest. "Your wife is hot!"

Bryan chuckled. "Nic, tell me something I don't already know. And no offense, but I feel like she looks like you."

Nikki's brows knit together in utter confusion. "Bryan, no offense, but of course she looks like me."

Brie laughed, rolling her eyes at the bickering. She was used to it, but it was oftentimes over the most ridiculous things.

There was a photographer nearby, snapping backstage pictures of the Superstars.

"Shoot, quick turn," Nikki turned her sister to the back. "Sorry, it's bad luck," Nikki said quickly when the photographer passed them by. The lady shrugged, snapping a photo of the back of the Bella Twins anyways.

"I can still use this one for the site, no biggie," the woman replied, moving on.

"That was a close one. One wrong person to say what they saw, and the world knows before they see it," Nikki huffed. "Not even that one weirdo on the internet, Metzer? Whatever his name is. He doesn't even have a clue what WWE is planning."

"Meltzer," Daniel Bryan piped up again. "And he's a moron. But people are definitely getting suspicious with what's going on after Seth's pipebomb the other night."

"Ugh," Nikki wrinkled her nose, her mind instantly going to her least favorite Divas Champion in the entire world. "Please don't call it that. Reminds me of a little rat that I know."

Brie laughed. "Oh, AJ Lee. Good thing you didn't marry her, Sweet Face," she kissed Bryan on the cheek, with a small wink. Bryan blew a raspberry, crossing his arms. Although he'd gotten along well with AJ Lee, he did acknowledge that it was hard to work with her. The chick played nuts on TV, and she was nuts in real life, too.

"And besides, that wasn't a pipebomb. That was scripted," Nikki chimed in.

Daniel Bryan laughed out loud. "You're kidding, right? Do either of you listen to Seth's promos? Because literally everything he says is lame and scripted. That was heartfelt, and he came up with that on the fly. I can tell."

Nikki thought about that for a moment. "No, he wouldn't drag me in front of the world like that unless he was told to," she decided aloud.

Her brother-in-law stood there, looking at her a bit incredulously. He stroked his short beard for a moment. "If that's what you want to believe," he stated finally. "Anyways, I think Lindsey Sue is flagging you over, babe," he nodded towards the Glam Squad. One of the women was waving at Brie, which meant it was time for her finishing touches. Which also meant that the show was about to start.

* * *

 _WrestleMania, continued:_

"Seriously, how can we follow up that match?" Corey Graves was on commentary, following up the match between Charlotte Flair and Asuka for the Smackdown Live Women's Championship match.

"I'm not too sure that we can, to be honest," Michael Cole spoke now. "Asuka was undefeated in the WWE, at 256-0. And somehow, Charlotte Flair managed to escape her with the gold!"

"Unbelievable match, and what a way to keep the Women's Evolution alive!" Renee Young exclaimed. "But we do have quite a stack of matches yet to go. We'll see the likes of Seth Rollins, The Miz, and Finn Balor compete for the Intercontinental Championship. Remember, Rollins was added to the match after we saw Kevin Owens go down with an unfortunate knee injury."

"But, don't forget," Corey continued on, "We'll also see the Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, team with Ronda Rousey to take on the WWE's power couple, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H."

"All exciting things coming our way," Michael Cole continued on.

"But, shifting focus from one power couple to another," Renee Young smiled at the camera, which was now panning the commentary panel, "It looks like a nice day for a WrestleMania wedding!"

"That's right, folks," Michael Cole stated. "We're about to see WWE's very own couple, John Cena and Nikki Bella, tie the knot here in front of millions and millions of viewers. All I can say to them is congratulations, and it's about time."

"Speaking of time," Graves interjected, "Did you guys get the time for the wedding reception down? I can't remember when it starts."

"Can't recall," Renee folded her arms, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Are you sure? I figured you'd know, since you're the one that's going as the disco ball."

"Oh, shut up," she replied cheekily. "Now, shush, it's starting!"

"She's such a girl," Corey sighed, and the commentary went quiet as a video package played. It was very heartfelt, and overall a decent representation of years Nikki and John had spent together. Clips from Total Divas and tender moments captured by the backstage camera crew highlighted the romantic relationship between the two.

When the package was over, they camera went back to the commentary team. Renee dabbed her eyes for show. "What a beautiful story for two beautiful people," she said.

"But let's not forget the recent events that happened over the weekend," Michael Cole pointed out. "During one of the Q and A sessions with our WWE Universe, Nikki Bella got interrupted by none other than the Architect himself."

"I wonder if what he had to say put any doubt in Nikki's mind?"

The next video that played was Seth laying into Nikki during her Q & A session at WrestleMania Axxess. There was instant buzz from the crowd, all of them obviously speculating over what was going to play out next.

"She looked surprised, sure, but Nikki and John have a strong and healthy relationship," Renee said after the video finished. "I don't think Rollins is going to be able to change her mind in thirty seconds."

"Besides, it's a little too late," Graves pointed out, the wedding invitation from a few weeks ago now on the titantron. There was basic violin music as a priest walked down to the ring, where there was a very pretty floral arch and different floral arrangements along the outsides of the ring. In true Bella fashion, the colors were black and red.

Next, John Cena's music began. He wore, as per usual, a godawful suit. But he still looked handsome, taking a black "Never Give Up" handkerchief from his suit pocket, which was written in script, and throwing it to the crowd. He made his way down to the ring carefully, a boyish smile on his face. He greeted the priest cheerfully before taking the microphone in his hand, making a show of listening to the "let's go Cena/Cena sucks" chants that had slowly began to rumble through the arena.

"Say whatever you want, but tonight, I'm the luckiest guy in the world!" Cena replied to the crowd, which responded with a mixture of cheers and boos. "Seriously, though. Every single match that I've had at WrestleMania, every person I've stepped into the ring with...none of that compares to this," he motioned towards the wedding setup. "I get to marry my best friend and the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

"Now, I know that our relationship has been rocky at times, but please know that you don't see what goes on behind closed doors," John continued, a loud whoop from the crowd taking it in a sexual manner. John paused for a moment, smiling as he realized that the audience had made a joke out of his previous statement.

"Oh, you've seen enough questionable moments on Total Divas and Total Bellas," he shook his head bashfully, not afraid to name drop the television shows. "The last thing I want is to let some lousy guy in a tactical vest put doubt on anyone's minds that the love that Nicole and I have for one another is very real, and runs very deep."

"With that being said, I'd like to welcome my best man down to the ring first. This man has been there for me through everything, and I'm so pleased he agreed to support me."

 _ **"I hear voices in my head, they council me, they understand..."**_

Randy Orton sauntered down to the ring, looking great as he always did in a tuxedo. It was an odd throwback to the old Evolution days.

"Holy cow! Randy Orton is returning after almost a year of hiatus!" Michael Cole exclaimed.

"And that just goes to show how important the friendship between Cena and Orton truly is," Corey Graves pointed out.

When Randy Orton got into the ring, he shook Cena's hand, clapping him on the back. He said some words of encouragement before stepping back.

"And of course, I'd like to welcome the matron of honor," Cena spoke again, gesturing down to the ring.

 _ **"Brieeee Mooooooode!"**_

Nikki took a deep breath as she walked through the curtains, wearing a flouncy red minidress with long, crocheted bell sleeves and matching high heels. She had her black hair piled on her head and carried a small bouquet. Again, it was much more Brie's style than her own, but she hoped she'd be allowed to keep the dress anyways.

 _Although I might need to get the boob area altered a little,_ she thought to herself as she smiled at the fans on her way down to the ring. Her own chest area had been bandaged down to make the girls appear just a little bit smaller.

She ducked into the ring, which Orton and John stepped on the middle rope to grant her easy access. She smiled thoughtfully at John, who smiled at her, but didn't give him a hug or anything like that. There was enough tension between them, and she found it hard to be in the same place as he was. She let out a low breath, waiting for Brie to make her grand entrance.

The traditional wedding march began, and Nikki looked at John to see his reaction. She couldn't help it. Even though she knew that this wasn't real, she wanted to take in the moment because it was possible this would be the only moment she'd ever get.

Brie emerged from the curtains, a huge roar from the audience as she made her way down to the ring. Even though Nikki knew she was not comfortable in the wedding dress, she sure as hell made it look good. Brie put on her brightest smile, trying her hardest to impersonate her sister. If Nikki didn't know better, she would have thought she was watching herself. It was like a dream.

John's eyes glittered under the lights, and Nikki continued to watch him. Her heart was doing flip-flops. But then she noticed something that made her tummy hurt immediately...

His eyes were empty. Nikki knew, in that moment, there was no hope for them. But rather than be upset by that revelation, she soaked in the moment and allowed it to empower her. It gave her the motivation to make this the best segment she would _ever_ be involved in. Even though they would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame one day, Nikki wanted to make sure that the Bella Twins would make a mark on the WWE Universe with this.

She gave her best Brie Bella smirk, which consisted of pressing her lips together and squinting her eyes, giving a small applaud as her sister walked down the aisle.

When Brie finally made her way into the ring, Nikki winked at her. Brie gave a shining smile back, taking her rightful spot across from John.

For the better part of the priest's speech, Nikki tuned it out. She allowed her mind to wander. She wondered if that guy was even a priest, or a lame-ass actor that needed some cash ASAP. Didn't matter; he did his part well enough.

"And if anyone here knows why there is a reason why Nicole and John shall not be married..." the guy went on. Nikki came back to reality, awaiting the scene that was about to take place.

The "Flight of the Valkyries" began, indicating that Smackdown Live General Manager, Daniel Bryan, was coming to the ring. Nikki wondered then what the announce team was saying about his entrance, surely playing up the clueless façade.

John looked at one of his closest acquaintances in a questionable manner, asking him loud enough for the audio to pick up what the deal was. Daniel Bryan spoke back, saying, "John, just trust me on this. It's important." Daniel Bryan motioned for the microphone that John had used earlier, and one of the guys around the ring tossed it up to him.

"John, I am so sorry to interrupt your big moment," Daniel Bryan said slowly. He was met with a loud jeer of boos.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry to interrupt this whole moment. But I'm here because, as the General Manager of Smackdown...it is my duty to tell you that I cannot allow this wedding to take place." There was another wave of boos, and John began to argue, demanding answers.

"Listen, I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. But to be honest, I think it's important for to the WWE Universe to know that through all these years, and all the time you've spent with myself, Brie, and Nicole...that despite all that, you _still_ can't tell Nikki and Brie apart."

Again, the crowd reaction was raucous; it appeared they had caught on to the situation. John, meanwhile, played dumb. He acted like he was confused.

"That's right. You might not be able to tell your future wife apart from her sister, but I know mine well enough. And John, I can't allow you to get married. Because this...this is Brie," he motioned towards the bride.

The shock turned to panic on John's face, then to anger as he turned towards Nikki. Nikki smiled brightly, acting as if this was perfectly normal.

 _ **"Hahahaha!"**_ came an annoying laughter from the tron. John's eyes searched Brie's for a moment, realization setting in as she pulled the padding from her bra as if to confirm that the gig was up. His eyes quickly averted to the image on the large titantron screen, which was Seth Rollins' face.

"I'm sorry, John," Seth's whiney voice echoed through the arena. "I really didn't mean for you to find out this way. But let's just say...Nikki and I have been on the same page for a while now."


End file.
